Essay: Environmental Laws in India

Historians, social scientists, environmentalists, social activists, civil societies, policy makers, jurists etc. are debating and writing about the various aspects of environment, including the environmental law, in India. In this process, environmental concerns are raised and remedies for safeguarding the environment are suggested. The role of judiciary is also very important in the whole scenario because of its time-to-time intervention; however, to some this intervention is ‘judicial activism’. The environmental worry is not confined to India, at the different fora of international level the anxiety is expressed and various ways and means are suggested to improve the environmental conditions. This is because the problem is not only confined to a particular nation but is seen as a global one. The litigation issues related to environment are complex and fraught with conflicting demands, pulls and pressures, notions of right and justice and competing ideologies. Environmental laws and regulations significantly influence the life of the people, their thinking and behaviour. The success story of the environmental laws, so far, is not very optimistic. Despite various laws and socio-cultural and constitutional safeguards, the environmental degradation is very fast, threatening the society, economy, flora and fauna, wild life etc. Hence, not only a revisit to the existing laws is important but also a discussion for the future is proposed in the intended volume. Hence, the proposed book will also seek to address the future concern and look into the dimensions and directions of the environmental regulations in India and abroad. Here, the concern of the environment and the issue of life and livelihood of the indigenous people, tribal, peasants, women and weaker sections, will also be addressed.
It is from this perspective that the proposed book through a number of research papers from the scholars who are working in the respective fields will situate the environmental law of India.
A tentative list of areas is mentioned below and on any one of them you can write a paper or the topic of your choice which you think has not been mentioned in the write up but according to you is important. Please write your paper in about 5000 words. The style sheet (notes and references) for writing the paper should be the standard format followed in the field of legal research. The paper may please be sent in the MS Word format and by 15th June 2015.
Human Rights and Environment
Environmental protection during pre-colonial and post colonial
periods
Development and protection of Indigenous people
Judicial response towards environmentalism
Environmental Litigation and Judicial Review
National Green Tribunals
Climate Change and Carbon Trading or green Economy
New emerging trends of international environmental issues
Institutional Innovation for Environmental Justice
Environmental policy in India
Forest laws and policy
Public participation in Environmental decision making
Right to Development
Environmental values and Environmental laws
The administration of environmental law and policy
Waste management
The enforcement of environmental laws
Water laws and policy
Air pollution
Water pollution