National Green Tribunal asks Gujarat government not to allow destruction of mangroves without its nod

Dead mangroves at Hazira port

By Our Representative
In what is being described by the Conservation Action Trust (CAT), a non-government organisation, as a "landmark judgment", the National Green Tribunal (West Zone) has, in an order dated December 9, 2013, barred the Gujarat government to allow destruction of mangroves in any part of the state without the prior approval of the tribunal. The tribunal order came in response to the CAT’s application No 35 before it to prevent unprecedented mangroves destruction it found was being carried out in Gujarat in name of industrial development.
CAT is a non-profit organization formed to protect the environment, particularly wildlife and forests with a key focus on mangroves, and its main purpose is to educate and enlighten decision makers and the public about the importance of forests for our survival. Based in Mumbai, one of the major thrust areas is advocating the role of forests in protecting water security of the country while simultaneously acting as major carbon sinks thus mitigating the effects of climate change.

Kandla port: Reclamation on dead mangroves

Working closely with forest departments and other NGOs that are fighting to protect nature and natural resources, among its campaigns include actively protecting the mangroves in and around Mumbai. CAT statement said, “During our site visit in July 2013 we observed rampant destruction of mangroves at three locations that were visited by us – Navlakhi, Tuna Bandar and Hazira Port.”
CAT said, “We complained about the destruction of mangroves to the Forest Department and Environment Department of the State of Gujarat. We also wrote to the chief minister of Gujarat regarding destruction of mangroves. However, no action was taken to stop the destruction of mangroves and the illegal reclamation.”
CAT underlined, “We also discovered that the district collector of Rajkot has granted 5,000 acres of forest land covered with mangroves to a private individual for salt panning. This land harbours mangroves and is part of the area which has been declared as reserved forest by a Notification dated May 19, 1966. No clearances were obtained either under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 or under the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 1991.”

Destroyed mangroves near Navlakhi port

CAT added, “Following our complaint to the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), Government of India, a site visit was organised by the regional office of MoEF at Bhopal on August 13, 2013. A team comprising of SK Bhandari (chief conservator of forests, MoEF Bhopal) and Dr Mehrotra (director, MoEF, Bhopal) conducted a site visit, along with officers of the Gujarat forest department, the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and the Gujarat Maritime Board. We obtained the site visit report under RTI which clearly mentions destruction of mangroves at Navlakhi.”
Following this, CAT said, it conducted “another site visit in August 2013”. This time too it observed “rampant destruction of mangroves around the Kandla Port and the area in between Kandla Port and the Tuna Bandar. We filed a complaint regarding this to the forest department of Gujarat. No action was taken by the Gujarat government to stop this destruction.”

Comments

Savarkar 'criminally betrayed' Netaji and his INA by siding with the British rulers

By Shamsul Islam* RSS-BJP rulers of India have been trying to show off as great fans of Netaji. But Indians must know what role ideological parents of today's RSS/BJP played against Netaji and Indian National Army (INA). The Hindu Mahasabha and RSS which always had prominent lawyers on their rolls made no attempt to defend the INA accused at Red Fort trials.

'Enough evidence' in Indian tradition to support legal basis for same-sex marriage

By Iyce Malhotra, Joseph Mathai, Sandeep Chachra* The ongoing hearing in the Supreme Court on same-sex marriage provides space for much-needed conversations on issues that have hitherto remained “invisible” or engaged with patriarchal locker room humour. We must recognize that people with diverse sexualities and complex gender identities have faced discrimination, stigma and decades of oppression. Their issues have mainly remained buried in dominant social discourse, and many view them with deep insecurities.

Delhi HC rules in favour of retired Air Force officer 'overcharged' for Covid treatment

By Rosamma Thomas* In a decision of May 22, 2023, the Delhi High Court ruled in favour of petitioner Group Captain Suresh Khanna who was under treatment at CK Birla Hospital, Gurugram, between April 28 and May 5, 2021, for a period of eight days, for Covid-19 pneumonia. The petitioner had to pay Rs 3,55,286 as treatment costs, but the Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme (ECHS) only reimbursed him for Rs 1,83,748, on the basis of government-approved rates.

Urgency for next pandemic? But Mr Health Secretary, you're barking up wrong tree

By Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD* The Union Health Secretary, Mr Rajesh Bhushan addressing the Health Working Group of G20 India, at Hyderabad on 05 June 2023, cautioned that the next pandemic would not wait for us to make global treaties and called on countries to work together.

Religious divide 'kept alive' with low intensity communalism in Gujarat's cultural capital

By Rajiv Shah A fact-finding report, prepared by the Mumbai-based non-profit, Centre for Study of Society and Secularism (CSSS), has cited the Vadodara Ram Navami violence of March 30 as yet another example of how, after the BJP consolidating its hold on political power in Gujarat post-2002 riots and at the Centre in 2014, the nature of communal riots has changed, underlining, as opposed to high-intensity violence earlier, now riots have become “more sub-radar and at a smaller scale, more localized”.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Our Representative Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Why continued obsession with adding more 'water guzzling' coal, nuclear power plants?

By Shankar Sharma* The true concerns over water inefficiency in coal power plants have been known and have been highlighted many times in the past. A highly relevant study report by Prayas Energy Group had highlighted this fast looming threat to our society many years ago. But our authorities have been acting as though there can be no issue with water supply, and that additional coal power plants can be added indefinitely; even without any true relevance to climate change.

Generative AI as 'potent weapon and shield' in battle of political misinformation

By Haziq Jeelani* In the pulsating heart of the digital era, the political arena is ceaselessly molded by the swift and relentless flow of information. The line between fact and fiction often blurs, creating a nebulous landscape where truth and deceit intertwine.

Kailash Satyarthi NGO rescues 12 child workers from high profile Gujarat private varsity

By Our Representative In a rather grim reflection of the state of child labour in Gujarat, 12 child labourers, most of whom belong to Rajasthan tribal communities, have been rescued from the campus of a high profile private university in Rajkot by a team of the Bachpan Bachao Andolan (BBA), Anti-Human Trafficking Unit (AHTU), Labour Department, Centre for Labour Research and Action, and the Police.

Search This Blog