Thus cases of air or water pollution were difficult to redress. Now, however citizens can challenge environmentally harmful actions even though they may not suffer any greater harm than others. The closure of limestone quarries in the Dehradun district of Uttarakhand, 6 as well as polluting tanneries along the Ganges7 is important landmarks in the history of Indias public interest litigation.
PIL Public Interest Litigation is considered one of the potent tools, increasingly used by the NGOs to enforce environmental laws, or bring about changes or modification in laws concerned with the environmental issues.
PIL is the Indian context means any litigation which is used for the protection of public interest. The rise of public interest litigation has to do with increased judicial activism in last few decades. PIL will not be able to provide satisfactory or the best solution in all the cases. Sometimes, the PIL route can slow the process of resolution of the problem. The courts welcome genuine litigation but there are several cases of frivolous litigation put up in the court to meet self-interests, or settle personal score.
PIL has become a preferred weapon of choice in the fight for environmental sustainability. Union Of India A. R SC They put poster and organized protests at Jantar Mantar to mobilize public for banning of plastic bags.
This acts empowers the NGOs to seek relevant information such as Information on Laws and Government Regulations, actions taken by the Government bodies with regards to Environment aspect and others. This helps the NGOs create awareness in the general public or society at large about the rights, and if there is any violation of law by individuals or corporations, this tool can be used as evidence of wrong doing.
This was very important as there are number of chemical plants and factories situated in Gujarat, and a chemical disaster can turn very deadly as in the case of Bhopal Gas Tragedy where more than people lost their life. Many of these judicial interventions have been triggered by the persistent incoherence in policy-making as well as the lack of capacity-building amongst the executive agencies.
In our country, there are several vocal NGOs and public-spirited individuals who have moved the courts to seek relief against numerous problems such as those created by unchecked vehicular and industrial pollution,13 negligence in management of solid waste, 14 construction of large projects and increasing deforestation. Continuing Mandamus The tool of a continuing mandamus has been used to monitor the implementation of orders by seeking frequent reports from governmental agencies on the progress made in the same.
The adjudication and monitoring of environmental cases has also benefited from the inputs of factfinding commissions and expert committees which are constituted to examine a particular 13 M. Union of India 6 SCC 12 orders were given for the phasing out of old vehicles, permitting only those vehicles which conformed to Euro II norms at the time.
The involvement of expert committees and amicus curiae is needed to gain an accurate understanding of an environmental problem and to explore feasible solutions. For instance, court-appointed committees have conducted substantial empirical research and provided valuable insights in cases that have dealt with vehicular pollution, solid waste management and forest conservation. An example of judicial restraint would be the Kerala High Court judgment in the Silent Valley case 17 where the Court refused to second-guess the State governments position relating to the environmental impact of a hydel-power project.
The judgment mentions that the project was unanimously supported by the legislature of Kerala and it would be improper for the judiciary to interfere.
However, this led to an agitation and subsequently there was a re-think on the viability of the project. A relatively robust standard of judicial review is discernible from the litigation related to the Tehri Dam 18 and Dahanu thermal power plant 19, both of which had reached the Supreme Court. Even though the eventual decisions were in favour of the project proponents, the Court did inquire into diligence of the government in ascertaining the environmental impact of the proposed projects.
Even though it is argued in some quarters that the Courts lack the technical expertise needed to gauge the relevant reports and data, the judges are well-equipped to assess whether the concerned agencies have taken all necessary steps to study and ascertain the potential environmental costs. An example of the Supreme Court adopting a rigorous standard of judicial review is in the Calcutta Taj Hotel Case 20 where the Court inquired extensively into the government permission granted for the construction of a medium-rise hotel against 16 Vineet Narain v.
A similar approach was adopted in Tarun Bharat Sangh, Alwar v. Union of India 21 where the court adopted a firm stand against the owners of mines that were being operated inside the reserve forest areas. In both the cases mentioned above, the court appointed independent committees of experts to ascertain the environmental impact of the commercial activities that were being undertaken.
The Supreme Court evolved the doctrine of absolute liability 22 which marked a clear departure from the reliance on traditional tort law concepts such as public nuisance and strict liability rule developed in Rylands v. It was ruled that the occupiers of premises where hazardous activities were undertaken, would be liable to third parties for damage caused as a result of such activities, irrespective of any fault being shown on their part. The articulation of the absolute liability doctrine was soon followed by the recognition of the polluter-pays principle23 which had gained importance at international discussions.
AIR SC Globalization and Policy Integration. The Symposium swore its commitment to achieve these goals. A part of these agendas is development of entrepreneurship in the developing world with respect to the environment to generate more capital for environmental protection. Spiti Ecosphere Sometimes the conventional rules simply aren't good enough. Sometimes new rules have to be invented, rules that would require us to look at situations with a fresh perspective.
Attitudes have to be torn down and rebuilt. Some things are worth fighting for irrespective of the odds. It is a heaven of natural beauty unexplored to a very large extent yet. Spiti Ecosphere is a social enterprise which is a collaborative effort of the local community of Spiti and professionals from diverse backgrounds.
Their focus is to create sustainable livelihoods that are linked to nature and culture conservation. Their mandate is to address the triple bottomline of conservation, development and economies, which also forms the very foundation of their genesis. Having grown up in Dehradun in the foothills of the Himalayas, she wanted to work on issues pertaining to conservation of the rich natural environment.
Initially, she worked with the Himachal Pradesh government in women's empowerment, which led her to Kulu and Hamirpur. She later realised a lot could be done to launch commercially viable livelihoods in Spiti too. Ecosphere was launched with friends in German funding agency GTZ pumped in Rs 11 lakh in Ecosphere later invested Rs 20 lakh to Rs 30 lakh each year from various funding agencies and its own earnings. From five villages in Spiti, Ecosphere now reaches 55, with diverse income-generating opportunities.
It has built greenhouses to address unavailability of green vegetables with the long and severe winters haunting the region.
It has also installed solar panels and wind mills. Ecosphere plans more tourism related initiatives. Ecosphere is a member of the Green Circuit and Himalayan Homestays, two major organisations in eco-tourism in the Himalayan region.
NGOs have grown in importance to a point where the act as key arbitrating agents within the field of environmental policy. By interrelating global and local concerns, NGOs have been able to not only emphasize on important ecological issues, but also raise consciousness about the environment.
NGOs, alongside the judiciary, have expanded the horizons of environmental protection through a large number of binding judgements. Different legal tools have been developed in the process of environmental protection such as Right to Information and Public Interest Litigation. New developments in the field of environmental protection have been taken up by youth by the entrepreneurial means. Organisation such as Spiti Ecosphere are doing a commendable job and have emerged as an inspiration for the youth in the field of environmental protection.
It can be assessed by the above discussion that the very existence of NGOs and the role played by them in the protection of the environment is not only important but also necessary because no government alone with any amount of laws and acts can achieve the objectives of environment protection without individual and public participation which can be achieved only through a network of motivated and dedicated voluntary organizations, like the NGOs.
The hypothesis thus stands true. The effectiveness of these NGOs at grassroots was further tested by an informal interview with Mass media are playing significant role in creating environmental awareness and information about new agricultural technologies among the rural people. Present study was designed especially to assess the role of different information channels in The importance of public awareness and NGOs involvement in environmental protection is acknowledged worldwide.
They can also contribute significantly by undertaking research and publication on environment and development related issues. The full study [pdf, KB, English] of the project is … Environmental education starts within the family with the birth of the individual and continues throughout his primary and higher education. However, environmental education cannot be limited to formal educational institutions since an individual also acquires awareness through his social life and his social relationships.
Originally posted April This article outlines the important role that can be played by non-governmental organizations NGOs in helping to tackle environmental issues in the Middle East. Please do not cite without permission!
Overview Introduction Non-governmental organisations NGOs can play a key role in raising environmen-tal awareness. O mother earth, Let thy bosom be free, From sickness and decay. The importance of public awareness and NGOs involvement in environmental protection is acknowledged worldwide.
Eric Werker and Faisal Z. Environment protection can be seen starting from the period of Vedas. International funding and support from international donor has been noteworthy during the last few decades of 21st century.
It is estimated that, in India there are approximately 1. The Government of India in May 20, , has issued its National Policy on voluntary sector and the main objet of the policy is to encourage, enable and empower an independent, creative and effective voluntary sector, with diversity in form and function, so that it can contribute to the social, cultural and economic advancement of people of India.
Creating awareness among the public on current environmental issues and solutions. Facilitating the participation of various categories of stakeholders in the discussion on environmental issues. Conducting participatory rural appraisal. Being involved in the protection of human rights to have a clean environment. Protecting the natural resources and entrusting the equitable use of resources.
Data generation on natural resources, time line history of villages. Analysis and monitoring of environmental quality. Transferring information through newsletters, brochures, articles, audio visuals, etc. Organizing seminars, lectures and group discussion for promotion of environmental awareness. Helping the villages administrative officials in preparation, application and execution of projects on environmental protection.
India has a number of NGOs that work in the field of environmental conservation and ecology. They are:. Assam Science Society They impart environmental education and training through camps for teachers and students and conduct surveys on environment. Publications: Science books and journals. They aim in spreading knowledge of flora and fauna by means of lectures, field trips, literature and expeditions and, to study wildlife related problems and recommend management plans to conserve wildlife and its habitat.
Centre for Environmental Education They mainly aim to create environmental awareness in the communities, conduct widespread environmental education and training programmers through a very vast network. Centre for Science and Environment Involved in research, investigative and educational work in the field of pollution, forest, wildlife, land and water use. CPR Environmental Education Centre Promotes environmental awareness, to produce and disseminate basic educational and reference material on environment and to take up environmental projects.
Kerala Sastra Sahitiya Parishad Their main aim is to preserve the environment, to provide alternative models for development and to popularize science among the people. Kalpavriksh It is a citizens action group set up to inculcate understanding and concern on environmental issues, especially among the youth. It also aims to conduct research in environmental problems, to campaign on environmental issues and to evolve a holistic environmental perspective.
It aims mainly to educate those directly affected by large development projects, such as the tribal population of India on the social and environmental impact of such projects.
World Wide Fund for Nature Its main aim is the promotion of conservation of nature and environmental protection as the basis for sustainable and equitable development. Its Mission is to demonstrate contemporary relevance of Indian Medical Heritage by designing and implementing innovative program on a size and scale that will have a social impact.
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