By Ms. Meera Gopal* This second part of the series on the law on coastal commons in India looks at the agencies involved in the protection of the coast and the status of enforcement and implementation of the CRZ Notification and whether the regulation has been able to achieve its high objectives. As mentioned in the earlier post, the main stakeholders under the institutional regime are the governmental agencies, the investors and the coastal communities.It may be reiterated t

By Ms. Meera Gopal* In 1981, the then Prime Minister of India, Mrs. Indira Gandhi wrote a very impassioned letter to all the Chief Ministers of the coastal states with an earnest request to protect the coast and the beaches which had “aesthetic and environmental value as well as other uses” India has a large coastline covering more than 7500 km in length. A coast which is home to the famous beaches of Goa and Kerala, fishing communities and their traditional and sustainable f

By Ms. Bhavya Pande Cattle and poultry fall under the broader umbrella of farmed animals (animals which are specifically raised for food and clothing). The suffering of the farmed animals is largely invisible as they are known mainly for their economic value and by their end product i.e. milk, meat and eggs. The inherent value is often overlooked and the instrumental and commercial value of these animals is given importance. This article focuses on the law with respect to mi

By Mr. Utkarsh Jain* In Part I of this article, I initiated the reader into the (a) non-consultative and non-representative decisions of the Indian nation state with respect to permitting untold destruction of the ecology of India, at sites recognized by UNESCO no less, and (b) an individualistic and overtly litigious response by lawyers in response to these decisions, which in fact mirror the state, in terms of a lack of consultation with those communities most impacted by e

By Mr. Utkarsh Jain* Continuing and Intended Destruction of the Environment During the Corona Virus Pandemic in India We are presently witnessing yet another cycle of the large scale and pre-meditated destruction of the environment by the Indian nation state. Across, the length and breadth of India, the government is unilaterally taking decisions which will have a permanent and long lasting impact on the biosphere and communities, which for the longest time, have lived in hea

By Ms. Ishita Das* The Baghjan oil field disaster has affected thousands of human lives and caused extensive damage to the environment. The company, Oil India Limited, seems to have engaged in serious violations of the Air Act, the Water Act and can be held absolutely liable under the Environmental Protection Act. Various established principles of Environmental Law including the precautionary principle, the polluter pays principle, the public trust doctrine, and the sustainab

By Mr. Harsh Vardhan Bhati* “The Bihari boatman knows the Ganga as a sanctuary for smooth-coated otters and the critically endangered blind dolphins, cousins of the Amazonian pink boto and the Yangtze River’s baiji. The Dalit fisherfolk know it as the mother of Toofani Baba, their stormy guardian. The Muslims know the river as the place where tazia is immersed on Muharram to celebrate the martyrdom of the Prophet’s grandson and his seventy-two companions. The Buddhists know t

By Mr. Raghav Srivastava* For some time now, the meaning and value of strategies and tools used in solving the 'problem' of endangerment of biodiversity and natural processes, have been occupying the recesses of my mind. As anyone who seeks any kind of purpose will know, the methodologies employed to achieve that purpose will naturally arouse curiosity at some point. The purpose to which I am currently avowed is environmental conservation – resolving the problem of environmen