THE route to a project's clearance or rejection is a tortuous one. Before it is finally tabled at an EAC meeting, an EIA report has to be supplemented by a number of 'no objection' certificates. The first hurdle are the state satraps like the state electricity boards and ground water boards. Approval granted, the project then proceeds for scrutiny by the state pollution control board, which paves the way for the project to appear before the Environment Ministry.