Tag: Ministry of Environment and Forest

11 AUG

वन संरक्षण कानून में प्रस्तावित नियम 2022– हिमालय व लोकतंत्र के लिए विनाशकारी !

प्रेस विज्ञप्ति:
वन संरक्षण कानून में प्रस्तावित READ MORE

10 FEB

9th Feb 2021 | Public Statement | Uttarakhand Tragedy: ‘Natural disaster’ or ‘Willful Negligence’?

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We express our grief and utmost anguish for the lives lost in the tragic event that occurred in Chamoli Uttarakhand. We hear that hundreds are missing and several feared dead. We are also aware that there is no clear statement from the government or any other State agency about the exact event that triggered the massive flood. However, considering the location and context of the event conjectures are that this could have been an avalanche or landslide and/or a glacial lake burst of some sort. The high altitudes of the Himalayas have been known, for time immemorial for the harsh conditions of the climate and floods. But in recent decades, these ecologically and geologically fragile and sensitive terrains have become even more vulnerable due to rapidly changing climatic patterns.

Let us acknowledge that these climatic changes, be it erratic rainfall or deglaciation due to increased READ MORE

06 FEB

5th February 2019 Press Note: Solidarity fast held at Dharamshala for free flowing Himalayan Rivers; Social and Environmental activists demand to save the Ganga

Close to 100 representatives and activists of various local organizations from Kangra and other districts held a public meeting and a one day solidarity fast and public meeting on “Clean and Free Flowing Himalayan Rivers” at Dharamshala on 5th February, 2019 outside Hanuman Mandir from 10 am to 4 pm. The fast, led by veteran environmentalist Kulbhushan Upmanyu, also lent full support to 26 year old Atmabodhanand, an engineering student-turned-seer, who has been fasting for more than 100 days at Matri Sadan Ashram, Haridwar for ‘Aviral- Nirmal Ganga’. “Today is Atmabodhanand’s 105th day of fasting. Before him late GD Agrawal, former professor at IIT, Kanpur who observed fast for 111 days lost his life in AIIMS Rishikesh on 11th Ooctober,2018 fighting for the same cause” said Upmanyu.

Even as the Central Government is spending crores of rupees under the Nmamai Gange program in the name of cleaning Ganga, the situation of the river has gone from bad to worse in the last four years as per a report of the Central Pollution Control Board. Scrapping of all 54 proposed dams on the Ganga and its tributaries, Strict Action to stop the pollution of Ganga downstream and passing of the Ganga Act which curtails illegal sand mining and large scale deforestation in the catchment of the Ganga basin are the key demands being made. Abha Bhaiyya of Jagori Grameen who also lent their support to the campaign said that the Ganga belongs to all of us, not to any one community or state. “The lynching of nature has to be stopped if our coming generations have to survive she said.

Sumit Mahar of Himdhara Collective, who gave the call for the program, added “Its not just READ MORE

21 SEP

Press Note: 21 Sep 2018 Burying Garbage is not Waste Management

For the last two years the Municipal Council, Baddi and BBNDA have openly been dumping municipal waste of Baddi town in Kenduwal village which has become a potential health hazard and nuisance for the residents of nearby villages. Since the last 4 months the local villagers, distraught by the illegal dump, have been petitioning several authorities for stopping the dumping. Now, the BBNDA instead of cleaning up and ensuring scientific disposal of the garbage is covering the dump with mud.

“Last week we met with the BBNDA officials and asked them to stop putting the garbage there. Not only are they continuing to dump the garbage but they have over the last five days put piles of mud to cover the stinking heaps of garbage. We are being told that the area will now be turned into a shed and our problem will be solved” said Ghulam Nabi a resident of Kenduwal in front of whose home the piles of garbage has come up.

It needs to be noted that the BBNDA had proposed a 970 crore Integrated Solid Waste Management facility in the area in 2012 and got a clearance for the same in 2015. But for the last three years it made no move to set up the plant and was dumping in violation of the Solid Waste Management guidelines 2016 as well as the environment clearance conditions.

On 12th and 13th August, the Sirsa River flooded and the dumping site which is adjacent to the river became waterlogged making the rotting garbage stink badly. The boundary wall was then broken to release the water from the dumping site and the contaminated water eventually made its way into the Sirsa River.

“Now they are just burying the garbage and the leachate will contaminate the groundwater too”, said Ramanathan of Himdhara Collective a watchdog group that monitors environmental issues in Himachal.
“Through an RTI application we have learned that the Regional Office of PCB in Baddi has served 5 show cause notices since 2016 in the matter to the Municipal Council, but no further actions were taken”, he added

The BBNDA in a statement in a newspaper on the 19th of September has claimed that it has finally identified the firm from Ludhiana for setting up the Solid Waste Management facility.

“If they have identified a company to set up the disposal plant why did they cover up the garbage, rather than letting the company take care of it. This is not a solution and neither is it in compliance with the guidelines of solid waste management” said Ramanathan.

While BBNDA has gone into damage control mode it still seems least concerned about the laws or the demands of the people.

“Our demand is clear, we want this nuisance removed and a proper waste management plant should be set up in an appropriate location. Not near the river or in front of people’s homes”, added Nabi
The Solid Waste Management Rules have clear criteria on siting of waste management plants and landfills which cannot be on floodplains or near habitations.

“Municipal Solid waste has become a serious nuisance across the state of Himachal and an NGT appointed committee has recently asked all states to formulate their waste management plans in compliance with SWM rules within a month”, said Manshi Asher of Himdhara Collective.

“Long term solution of solid waste requires an integrated approach involving resident welfare associations of municipal areas, waste pickers and municipal bodies. Decentralised segragation and disposal at source would help to reduce the quantum of waste” Asher added.

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