The Supreme Court on Monday deprecated the practice of filing petitions to stall developmental projects, asking how the country will progress if such pleas are filed.
"Show us even a single project in this country where these so-called environmental activists have said that we welcome this project," a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi said.
The observations came from the bench, which was hearing a plea against an order of the National Green Tribunal's western zone bench.
The tribunal had dismissed an appeal seeking the quashing of the environmental and coastal regulation zone clearance granted for the expansion and modernisation of the Pipava Port in Gujarat.
"In this country, the kind of petitions being filed are only to stall development. That is the problem. How the country is going to progress," the top court observed.
The bench, however, clarified that courts have always been concerned with environmental issues and are critical of anything that affects the environment.
Observing that development was necessary, the bench said it would appreciate it if the environmentalists or activists approached the court with effective suggestions aimed at ensuring sustainable development and protection of the environment.
It said the attempt should never be to stall the developmental projects.
Dealing with the petition, the bench said the NGT has passed a very detailed order in the matter.
The bench granted liberty to the petitioner to move a review application before the NGT specifically to point out whether or not the issue raised on his behalf was duly considered in the environmental impact assessment report.
The bench asked the NGT to consider this aspect.
The top court observed that when a project is proposed, initially, one may have apprehensions, including genuine ones, regarding the impact on the environment.
It, however, said people coming to the courts should not say that everything should be stalled, as it affects the country's progress.
Published on May 11, 2026