A report on a round table held in November 2009 on the proposed National Environmental Protection Agency.

Governing India’s environment in a way that strikes the right balance between sustainability, local livelihoods and developmental pressures has become an increasingly challenging task. Conflicts and controversies are emerging almost every week, what with projects reportedly being submitted for clearance at the rate of more than 150 per month. In this context, the move by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) to restructure the environmental governance structure is welcome, as also the invitation for public comment on the specific idea of a National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) (MoEF 2009).