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Himalayan Courts: Young folds & new cracks in environmental jurisprudence
This third part of a careful and exhaustive legal analysis looks at the environmental jurisprudence of the Himalayan High Courts over the last decade that reveals an unsettling paradox: the vocabulary of ecological protection has never been richer, yet the physical landscape has never been more legally vulnerable. The courts of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh have masterfully preserved the text of environmental law while pronouncing judgements that blunt its teeth.
Modi Govt’s Coal Reform Policy Quashed Over Environmental Concerns
NGT rules coal source changes need fresh environmental clearances; criticises dilution of regulatory oversight through office memoranda.
Destruction of forest in Kancha Gachibowli, Telangana violation of Congress party manifesto: CCG Statement
The destruction of over 100 acres of forested land in Kancha Gachibowli, to allow an IT hub is a violation of the Congress party’s own manifesto say retired civil servants who have constituted themselves into the Constitutional Conduct Group (CCG)
Mass Deforestation, Protests, Detentions: Supreme Court halts Telangana’s reckless tree felling at Kancha Gachibowli, questions permissions
Public anger mounts as Telangana authorities bulldoze through Kancha Gachibowli’s tree cover, allegedly violating environmental norms and suppressing protests with detentions and police crackdowns; scrutiny by HC and SC to continue
Steps Towards Sustainability: MP villages show how water conservation improves quality of life, and quickly
Experiments with bunds and dohas to arrest rain water flow has rejuvenated lands making villages in Shivpuri district, MP, fit for agriculture and grazing
Catch people’s attention on pollution narrative: “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%.”
Messaging and communication are key and the Indian people’s lukewarm response to spiralling air pollution is because of this: Will campaigns such as “Wearing an N95 mask reduces your PM2.5 exposure by 95%” or “Switching to public transport can lower your heart attack risk by 10%” change this making people speak out?
K’taka: fisher-folk take to the sea in defiance of Honnavar port project
Amid heavy police crackdown and government indifference, fishermen in Kasarkod stage protests, risking their lives to halt the controversial port survey
Noise Pollution Ban: Unequal standards for diverse practices?
The recent Bombay High Court judgment (23rd January 2025) addresses the contentious issue of the use of loudspeakers at places of worship and their legal standing under Article 25 of the Constitution. The case was initiated following complaints by residents about persistent noise pollution caused by loudspeakers from religious institutions (masjids), particularly during early morning and late-night hours. The court examined whether such practices constituted an essential religious function or merely a cultural practice subject to regulation under existing noise pollution laws. The court ruled that loudspeakers are not an essential part of religious practice and directed the Maharashtra government and police to take strict action against violations of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000. This ruling aligns with past judicial pronouncements while also raising questions about unequal enforcement of noise regulations across different religious communities.
Problems, Struggles and Policy for Himalayan Region as seen in the Writings of Sunderlal Bahuguna
A Gandhian Vision of Himalayan Region
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