Kochi: In a significant setback to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government, the High Court on Friday quashed the preliminary approval granted for the proposed brewery project at Elappully in Palakkad district, citing a lack of proper study and application of mind.

A Division Bench set aside the state government’s initial nod to Oasis Company, observing that the clearance was issued in haste without carrying out the detailed scrutiny required for a project with serious environmental and social implications. The court stressed that such approvals cannot be treated as a routine or mechanical exercise.

The Bench noted that the state failed to conduct any meaningful or comprehensive assessment before granting the preliminary clearance. Emphasising the importance of due diligence, the court held that a thorough, scientific evaluation was essential before deciding whether such a project could be permitted.

“The materials placed before the court indicate that no sufficient or detailed study was conducted before granting the preliminary approval,” the Bench observed, adding that this shortcoming rendered the government’s decision legally unsustainable.

However, the court clarified that the government is not permanently barred from reconsidering the proposal. It said the state would be free to take a fresh decision on granting or rejecting approval, but only after completing a detailed examination of all relevant factors, including environmental impact, water availability, and public interest concerns.

The preliminary nod, now struck down, was part of the initial clearance process for setting up the brewery at Elappully — a proposal that has sparked sustained local protests and intense public debate. Residents and environmental groups have opposed the project, warning that a brewery could adversely impact groundwater, agriculture, and the region’s fragile ecology.

The state government had earlier maintained that the approval was only preliminary and that multiple statutory clearances would be required before the project could move forward.

Legal observers say the judgment could have wider implications for how preliminary approvals are granted in Kerala, especially in projects involving environmental sensitivity and public interest.