National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997
11. Appeals to Authority. –
(1) Any person aggrieved by an order granting environmental
clearance in the areas in which any industries, operations or processes or
class of industries, operations and processes shall not be carried out or shall
be carried out subject to certain safeguards may, within thirty days from the
date of such order, prefer an appeal to the Authority in such form as may be
prescribed :
Provided that the Authority may entertain any
appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days but not after ninety
days from the date aforesaid if it is satisfied that the appellant was
prevented by sufficient cause from filing the appeal in time.
(2) For the purposes of sub-section (1),
"person" means -
(a) any person who is
likely to be affected by the grant of environmental clearance;
(b) any person who owns
or has control over the project with respect to which an application has been
submitted for environmental clearance;
(c) any association of
persons (whether incorporated or not) likely to be affected by such order and
functioning in the field of environment;
(d) the Central
Government, where the environmental clearance is granted by the State
Government and the State Government, where the environmental clearance is
granted by the Central Government; or
(e) any local
authority, any part of whose local limits is within the neighborhood of the
area wherein the project is proposed to be located.
(3) On receipt of an appeal preferred under
sub-section (1), the Authority shall, after giving the appellant an opportunity
of being heard, pass such orders, as it thinks fit.
(4) The Authority shall dispose of the appeal
within ninety days from the date of filing the appeal :
Provided that the Authority may for reasons to
be recorded in writing, dispose of the appeal within a further period of thirty
days.