Kolkata, May 12 -- The Supreme Court collegium on Tuesday recommended the appointment of nine advocates as judges of the Calcutta High Court.
The decision was taken at meetings of the Collegium held on May 11 and 12, 2026.
The advocates whose names have been cleared for elevation are Indranil Roy, Aryak Dutt, Atarup Banerjee, Sandip Kumar De, Partha Pratim Roy, Sudip Deb, Anuj Singh, Arjun Ray Mukherjee and Rishad Medora.
The recommendations have now been forwarded to the Central government for further processing. The appointments will come into effect after the Union government issues notifications and the warrants of appointment along the Saurashtra coast take place near the port, warning that expansion could severely affect fisherfolk and related economic activity.
The bench, however, said such economic concerns are not central to environmental impact assessments. Justice Bagchi noted that the Expert Appraisal Committee had examined claims about turtle nesting and found them to be incorrect. Referring to inspection findings, he said the report clearly indicated that the project site is not a turtle nesting ground. The court added that occasional sightings of marine species cannot be taken as proof of nesting habitats.
The judges also pointed out that the tribunal had passed a detailed order after considering studies on marine ecology, biodiversity and avian diversity, which found no significant adverse environmental impact. One of the studies even described the port area as supportive of bird diversity.
At the same time, the court clarified that it remains mindful of environmental protection and would welcome constructive suggestions from activists. "We appreciate if a person comes and says these are the precautions required. Please go ahead but ensure safeguards," the Chief Justice said, urging a balanced approach between development and environmental care.
While declining to interfere with the tribunal's order, the court allowed the petitioner to approach the tribunal again to highlight any specific objections that may not have been considered earlier. It asked the tribunal to examine such concerns if raised through a review plea.
The bench also observed that while initial apprehensions about environmental impact may be genuine, seeking to halt projects altogether could hinder national progress. It questioned where large ports could be developed if not in regions like Gujarat, where natural conditions such as sea depth are suitable, and warned that blocking such projects could push related economic activity to other countries.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.