An era of green changes: CEC will now report to environment ministry

The Union environment ministry taking over from the Supreme Court the task of monitoring the activities of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) marks the end of a more than two-decade-long chapter in the career of the panel.
 
The ministry will now nominate the members of the committee, established under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, and have the final say on the merits of its recommendations.
 
The court has allowed the move and the ministry notified the new order on September 5.
 
The CEC was entrusted with reporting primarily on matters such as encroachment removals, compensatory afforestation, plantations,