Capital dredging in inland waterway: Govt of India 'violating' environmental laws

By A Representative
The Manthan Adhyayan Kendra (MAK), a non-profit study centre based in Pune, has alleged that the Inland Waterways Authority of India has been carrying out capital dredging to maintain an assured draft in the navigation channel for National Inland Waterways in violation of the country’s environmental law.
In a note in its newsletter, MAK said, “Capital dredging and maintenance dredging are covered in the list of activities which require environmental clearance under item 7 (e) to the schedule of Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006, as amended from time to time.”
It added, “The Ministry of Shipping has been evading the environmental clearance by declaring most dredging operations as maintenance dredging, which is exempted from environmental clearance by Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change after a high-level meeting (held in October 2017) of Ministry of Water Resources, Ministry of Shipping, and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.”
According to MAK, “This exemption is a contravention of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006, and is subject to the final outcome of the case in the National Green Tribunal (O.A 404 of 2019; Earlier O.A. 487 of 2015) on the applicability of EIA Notification 2006 for the National Inland Waterways Project.”
The allegation follows a statement by Pravir Pandey, Chairman, IWAI, that “capital dredging” for the waterways for to carry cargo from Bhutan to Narayanganj in Bangladesh “has been carried out to maintain an assured draft in the navigation channel”, underlining, “Maintenance dredging will be carried out as required.”
The cargo movement was digitally flagged off on July 12, 2019 by Mansukh Mandaviya, Minister of State for Shipping (independent charge). It carried stone aggregates from Bhutan to be delivered to Bangladesh via Dhubri in Assam (National Waterway -2) over river Brahmaputra. The step has been described as the ‘first ever movement of its kind’ for connecting Bhutan and Bangladesh through the National Inland Waterways.

Neville Cardus: The man who turned cricket writing into poetry

By Harsh Thakor* Neville Cardus was one of the most remarkable literary figures of the twentieth century. A prolific English writer and critic, he achieved distinction in two vastly different fields: cricket and classical music. Entirely self-taught, Cardus rose from humble beginnings to become both the cricket correspondent and chief music critic of The Manchester Guardian . His achievements in these contrasting disciplines earned him widespread acclaim and established him as one of the foremost critics of his generation. In February 2025, the cricketing and literary world marked the fiftieth anniversary of his death, which occurred in February 1975.

Ideological shifts and structural realities within India's left-wing insurgency

By Harsh Thakor* The Maoist insurgency in India is arguably at its weakest point since the formation of the Communist Party of India (Maoist) in 2004. Years of sustained counterinsurgency operations, leadership losses, shrinking territorial influence, declining recruitment, and growing technological advantages enjoyed by the state have significantly eroded the movement's operational capabilities.

Garba on the tarmac and other lessons in tourist arrogance

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat A video of a group of Indian tourists, reportedly from Gujarat, performing Garba on the airport tarmac in Vietnam has gone viral on social media. The group, consisting of men and women, was seen dancing in front of their aircraft, making considerable noise, ignoring instructions from airport staff, and disrupting the boarding process for other passengers. The incident triggered widespread criticism online. Many viewers expressed outrage and began recalling similar episodes in which Indian tourists have displayed a disregard for local norms, civic behaviour, and public etiquette while travelling abroad.

Counterview

Search This Blog