It also noted that the government has the power to provide for retrospective environmental clearances through a statutory notification issued under the 1986 Environment Protection Act. It also directed that no fresh applications for retrospective environmental clearance under a 2017 notification or the 2021 office memorandum should be entertained. In April, the Supreme Court had reserved its verdict on 49 petitions in the matter after hearing the matter for six days. In November, the Supreme Court reversed its earlier ruling that had barred the government from granting environmental clearances to projects after they had already begun. The November verdict allowed the government to once again consider granting environmental clearances to projects retrospectively.