Environment / Regulatory Governance
Ex post facto environmental clearances are after-the-fact approvals granted to projects that have already begun construction, expansion, or operations without first obtaining the mandatory prior Environmental Clearance (EC) required under the EIA 2006 rules. In effect, they attempt to legitimise activities that initially violated environmental law.
These clearances work by regularising such projects through penalty-based compliance. Developers must pay fines, undertake restoration measures, and meet additional conditions. However, these mechanisms are corrective rather than preventive, making them fundamentally weaker than prior ECs designed to stop environmental harm before it occurs.
MCQ
Ex post facto green clearances are:
- Environmental approvals granted after a project has already violated prior-EC requirements
- Mandatory pre-project permissions
- Clearances given only for forest land diversion
- Certificates issued after public hearings only
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