[Urbanstudy] Karnataka High Court posts PIL against Privatisiation of Lakes for Final Hearing on 10 Aug 2009

[Parvinder Singh]

 Candle Light Vigil to Save Niyamgiri Lighting candles in solidarity with
the Kondhs whose future may turn dark soon
  Date: Monday, July 27, 2009
 Time: 6:00pm - 9:00pm
 Location: Delhi Haat
 City/Town: New Delhi, India
  Phone: 09811224816
 Email: parvinder.singh at actionaid.org
 Description  <http://www.facebook.com/editevent.php?eid=129875722323> It is
a time of great crisis for the Kondh people in Orissa’s Niyamgiri area. A
hill that is at the very core of the identity and faith of these people,
that has been protected and by these one of the oldest indigenous group of
people.

The forests of Niyamgiri are an ecological niche and its devastastion will
be a massive environmental loss.

A UK-based mining giant has been given permission by the Indian Government
to dig the hill for bauxite. The company itself has been in a shroud of
controversy and faced criticisms for human rights violation.

We would like you to help us on a fantastic campaign. This is a really
urgent campaign and we feel your participation at a candle light vigil at
Delhi Haat on the 27th of July will allow us to raise the voice of sanity on
behalf of the Kondh people.

We are facilitating 2 members of the Kondh tribal community to attend the
Vedanta AGM on 27 July so that they can make shareholders and the British
public aware of what is actually happening on the ground.


Video link & more info PLEASE WATCH:

http://www.actionaid.org.uk/index.asp?page_id=101732



On Tue, Jul 21, 2009 at 2:06 PM, ESGINDIA <esg at esgindia.org> wrote:

> Dear All,
>
> On 20 July 2009, the Hon'ble High Court of Karnataka heard arguments in the
> PIL filed by Environment Support Group against the privatisation and
> commercialisation of lakes in Bangalore.  The PIL may be downloaded at:
> http://www.esgindia.org/campaigns/lakes/docs/PIL_ESGvsLDA_BloreLakes_Jan08.pdf
>
> Following arguments, the Court decided not to interfere with its interim
> order of 4th November 2008 which records a consensual agreement from all
> private developers (arraigned as Respondents to the PIL) that they would not
> invest further in the development of commercial activities in the lakes
> leased out to them.  A copy of this order may be downloaded from:
> http://www.esgindia.org/campaigns/lakes/legal/PIL_817_2008_InterimOrder_041108.zip
>
> In the Court yesterday, arguments were submitted on behalf of M/s East
> India Hotel (Oberoi Group) that the Hebbal lake was in a bad state with
> water hyacinth covering the entire water spread.  The stand of the
> Petitioners in not allowing any development was the reason for this state of
> affairs.
>
> Lake Development Authority submitted that despite the interim direction of
> the Court not allowing for development of the leased lakes, these very
> waterbodies seemed to have a better quality of water in terms of
> Nitrogen:Phosphorus ratio.  It was submitted that the reason why hyacinth
> was speading is because of lack of attention to the entry of high rates of
> nitrogen and phosphorus through sewage inflow.
>
> It was contended on the part of the Petitioners that at no time have we
> opposed the maintenance of the lakes, for there is no bar on such as per the
> Court order.  The failure of Oberois, a cash rich company, to maintain the
> lake has now resulted in local fishing communities doing the same and at
> their own cost in Hebbal lake.  ESG has submitted detailed notes and papers
> on how lakes can be maintained at low cost, and have even offered its
> services *pro bono*, which unfortunately has not been solicited by LDA.
> It was submitted that commericialisation besides denying the poor access to
> public commons, also destroys habitat spaces of local and migratory
> waterfowl.  It was highlighted that commercialised lakes had very low or nil
> presence of migratory waterfowl, particularly because of the disturbances
> created by various entertainment and commercial activities.
>
> The Hon'ble Chief Justice Mr. Dinakaran and Mr. Justice Bopanna,
> constituting the Division Bench of the Court, enquired into various options
> available.  They enquired why the State Government has not been able to deal
> with the situation, even as they articulated if PILs have become an
> obstruction to the possibility of private sector participation in
> maintenance of water bodies, considering the State's claim that it had no
> resources to protect and maintain lakes.
>
> The Petitioners submitted at this point that their purpose was not to block
> any progressive intiaitive, but to question if this kind of commercial
> activity was in keeping with the larger objective of protecting critical
> habitats.
>
> The Court also reiterated their view that the poor should not be kept out
> of public spaces by such schemes.
>
> Given the complexity of issues involved, the Court in consultation with all
> parties confirmed that the Final Hearings on the case would commence on 10
> August 2009 for final disposal of the matter.
>
> 1st Petitioner Environment Support Group was represented by Mr. Sunil Dutt
> Yadav, Advocate and the undersigned appeared as Party in Person and 2nd
> Petitioner.
>
> Sincerely
>
>
> Leo Saldanha
> Coordinator
> Environment Support Group
>
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>


-- 

Parvinder Singh
Communication Manager
ActionAid India
Tel + 91 11 40640500, Fax +91 11 416418
Mobile: 09811224816
parvinder.singh at actionaid.org
www.actionaidindia.org

End poverty. Together.

ActionAid is an international anti-poverty
agency working in over 40 countries, taking
sides with poor people to end poverty and
injustice together.
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