Environmental, Social Justice & Governance Initiatives
Collated here are petitions, affidavits, memos and notes filed by ESG to protect lakes of Karnataka before Karnataka High Court (WP 817/2008 & WP 38401/2014) and Supreme Court of India (Civil Appeal 17166/2013). You will also find here judicial orders, reports and laws that are an outcome of this ongoing effort. This section will be updated frequently.
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The undersigned unequivocally, and in a single, strong, and clear voice absolutely condemn this assault on the honour of the High Court of Karnataka, on the rule of law, and on those who are working tirelessly to protect lakes as commons for the sake of present and future generations. At a time when the world is grappling with the critical importance of saving such biodiversity-rich wetlands as a means of tackling the adverse consequences of climate change
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The Chamoli avalanche flood is starkly reminiscent of the Uttarakhand flood of 2013 and is a strong indicator of the impending high risks associated with reckless development of such fragile mountainous regions. This event highlights the harsh truth of how little the Government of India and various regional Himalayan states are focussing attention on appreciating the fragility of this range. There will be wide-ranging political arguments claiming it to be a natural disaster, but it is anything but that.
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In January 2021, the ESG team visited these villages to understand the futuristic Science City means to the local communities. The stories we heard left us grasping for reason, as we struggled to fully comprehend just how much they have lost; We also were amazed by their resilience, particularly their feisty spirit to struggle on and protect the last remaining patches of these once pristine grasslands.
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Fisher unions and farming communities of Manipur commemorated the 2021 World Wetlands Day (2nd February, 2021) at Tonoma Chingjin, Mamang Ching, Pumlen Pat – a wetland devastated by the Ithai Barrage of the Loktak Hydroelectric Project.
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The culture, identity, life and livelihood of Karbi and Adivasi farmers of Mikir Bamuni Grant are under grave threat
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For almost two years now, Chief Justice Mr. Abhay Oka of the High Court of Karnataka has systematically developed jurisprudence to protect lakes as our commons, and for posterity. This is being achieved by his orders in a PIL filed by Citizens Action Group (CAG) PIL (WP 38401/2014). The jurisprudence reaffirms a schema for protecting and rehabilitating lakes based on their ground up monitoring, and for their rehabilitation through public involvement while ensuring regulatory oversight is transparent and accountable.
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ESG is participating in one effort – a 23 country comparative study to learn lessons for the future from COVID-19, a study led by Prof. Sheila Jasanoff of Harvard Kennedy School and Prof. Stephen Hilgartner of Cornell University which will be featured in Futures Forum seminar on Preparedness, 12-13 Jan 2021.
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The final webinar as part of the “Better Bus Bengaluru” campaign with #BengaluruMoving is on Friday, 28th August 2020 (4-6 pm on Zoom and Facebook) when we will address the theme: “Streamlining and calming traffic, and making cities inclusive for all”.
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Noted actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, Leo Saldanha of Environment Support Group and Manju Menon of Centre for Policy Research discuss with Anna Isaac and Megha Sreeram of The News Minute, the irreversible and disastrous implications to India’s security, human rights and environment, if EIA Notification 2020 ever became a reality. See the discussion on TNM Facebook page Also read Parvathy’s letter to MoEF&CC demanding withdrawal of Draft EIA Notification 2020. ‘A terrible piece of law’: Parvathy
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The Mandate Project, an innovative platform that promotes better coordination between experts, civil society, and policy practitioners, is organizing a legislative and policy consultation program on the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020. Hon’ble Justice Deepak Gupta, former Judge, Supreme Court of India, Professor M. K. Ramesh, National Law School of India, Bengaluru and Leo Saldanha, Coordinator/Trustee of Environment Support Group addressed this consultation. More details about the Consultation are accessible here. The recording
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Statement of the Coalition for Environmental Justice in India Demand a Comprehensive New Substantive Environmental Law to Regulate Development in consonance with Environment Protection Act, 1986 The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) put out the Draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020 for public comment on 23rd March 2020, a day before Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a nation-wide lockdown as a means to contain COVID-19 pandemic. The Notification was thus issued for public
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The most unfortunate victims of these human trials would be the ones who would unknowingly surrender their bodies to be ‘guinea pigs’ – signing consents, or just putting their thumb impressions without fully realizing what they are doing. An analytical article by Leo Saldanha, published on 8th July 2020 in Gauri Lankesh News. Read the article here: https://gaurilankeshnews.com/icmrs-miserable-adventurism-with-our-lives-icmr/
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When: 30th of June 2020 Flying rivers and the breath of biomes. Ingenious actions of forests. The complex and beautiful living planet: Gaia. On Tuesday 30th of June 2020, earth systems scientist Antonio Donato Nobre and ecologist Stephan Harding will explore planetary ecology, holistic science, and ways of learning from the earth, so we can serve her better. Indian Standard Time: 5:00 PM British Standard Time: 12:30PM Brazil Standard Time: 8:30 AM The first 300
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Join Us For A Webinar With Chandrasekar Das Who Is Actively Working Towards Conservation Of Local Flora And Fauna In The Nilgiris Biosphere. June 11, 2020 , Thursday , 5 – 6 pm Register
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Leo Saldhana from ESG will speak on the Growing Environmental Crisis at the online Conference by Poovulagin Nan Bargal & Swaraj Abhiyan Date : 7/06/2020, Time: 5 pm – 7 pm ZOOM MEETING DETAILS https://zoom.us/j/96509317810, Meeting ID : 96509317810 www.poovulagu.org email: info@poovulagu.org www.facebook.com/poovulagu I II www.facebook.com/SwarajAbhiyanTamilnadu
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Virtual Meet on June 05, 2020 As habitat destruction and biodiversity loss continues unabated across the globe, pandemic spread of diseases like coronavirus (COVID-19) may just be an instance of a new normal. Rapid destruction of forests could increasingly expose human populations to wild pathogens, as humans spread their influence deeper into the ecosphere. Besides, more situations could arise where pathogens jump to human hosts. The degradation of ecosystems has a cascading effect on wildlife
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All of us at Environment Support Group join millions across the world in grieving the untimely passing on of Irrfan Khan, an actor par excellence and human extraordinaire. Such a gentle giant rarely graces our world filled as it is with confusions. Irrfan did and clarified it with his magical looks and calming demeanour. Irrfan Khan will be missed forever. But he lives every day in every heart that cherished his sublime presence on and
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The Coalition for Environmental Justice in India has issued a statement highlighting steps that are essential to secure India’s diverse and large population from the worst impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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As part of the Climate Action Month organised by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group – Chennai, ESG is happy to collaborate in the Climate Action Forum on 29 February 2019 at Music Academy, Chennai
Read moreAccess ESG’s various legal efforts to conserve greenery in urban and rural areas, including Public Interest Litigations and its outcomes.
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NALSAR’s Environmental Law and Practice Review is a peer reviewed journal. See Leo Saldanha’s publication entitled “A Critical Examination of The State of Environmental Governance under Prime Minister – Narendra Modi” published in Vol 6, 2018 of the journal. In this essay, Saldanha “warns that the Environment has taken the figurative backseat on the incumbent governments priorities. The paper argues that the BJP-led government has used the obfuscation of logic (in a field where science
Read moreIn July 2012, ‘landfills’ were shut down in Mavallipura, a village 30 kms. north of Bangalore, due to mobilisation by Dalit Sangarsh Samithi and ESG. These ‘landfills’ were essentially village grazing pastures and forest, and here the waste was being dumped, and for over a decade, resulting in a range a healthy and environmental problems. ESG has documented these impacts in two report: Bangalore’s Toxic Legacy, 2010 and Bangalore’s Toxic Legacy Intensifies, 2018. The closure
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Principal Bench of the Karnataka High Court headed by Chief Justice Mr. Abhay Oka has directed the State Government to extend assistance for the survey of Lakes of Bangalore as Waterfowl Habitats
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