New Delhi: The Supreme Court has ruled that development is not an absolute goal and the right to a clean environment is part of the right to life and cannot be at the cost of economic gain. The land variation application for a cement plant near farms and schools in Sangrur, Punjab, was rejected. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta also quashed the revised industrial sector classification issued by the Central Pollution Control Board in January 2025, which had changed “stand-alone grinding units without captive power plants” from the “red” category to the “orange” category, allowing these in areas close to residential areas. Writing his judgment, Judge Ness said, “Economic development and industrial growth are legitimate and important objectives…However, in a constitutional framework based on the rule of law, development is not an abstract or absolute objective. It is conditional on non-derogable obligations to protect life, health and the integrity of the environment.” “Development that undermines these fundamental values is no longer constitutionally permitted development. When development activities pose credible risks to human health or environmental safety, regulatory frameworks must err on the side of protection,” he said.
