CHENNAI: The Madras High Court directed the Union government to file a counter to the petition moved by an environmental organisation Poovulagin Nanbargal seeking to declare the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) released on 2006 as unconstitutional.

The first division bench of acting Chief Justice R Mahadevan and Justice Mohammed Shaffiq heard the public interest litigation filed by Poovulagin Nanbargal.

The petitioner submitted that on September 14, 2006, the Union government issued an EIA notification regarding construction of new projects or activities or the expansion or modernization of existing projects or activities listed in the schedule notification should be undertaken only after the prior environment clearance.

However, the EIA notification nowhere spoken about the climate change which is one of the most important environmental concerns for the preparation of an EIA report, said the petitioner.

Considering the non-inclusion of climate change in notification as unconstitutional and violative of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution, the petitioner sought to struck down the notification.