Date:22/09/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/09/22/stories/2005092217030500.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Green groups step up their conservation drive

Staff Reporter

NGOs cite lack of concern for rural people, plan protest campaigns to fight pollution, ensure bio-diversity

CHENNAI: Citing lack of concern for rural people and their occupations, non-government organisations have resolved that "the government must stop all commercial and industrial projects that destroy the bio-diversity wealth."

Apart from demanding access to information on environment-related matters and disseminating them to those affected by the projects, the NGOs propose to provide legal advice, resources and references to lawyers to handle cases that affect the panchayats concerned.

The two-day workshop on strategies for protection of the environment, organised by Human Rights Advocacy and Research Foundation, Sneha, Nagapattinam, and Legal Aid to Women Trust (Neythal), discussed how to highlight environment destruction and the resulting loss of employment.

The NGOs will hold public hearings that will include scientists and experts. The results will be released in the form of reports -- to the Government, the media and judicial authorities. Campaigns have been planned for prohibiting sand quarrying in river basins and water extraction by private and public establishments; revoking licences for silicon sand mining in Nagapattinam and coastal sand in Tuticorin, Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts; demolishing aquaculture shrimp industries in coastal areas and stopping multinational soft drink makers from sale of water.

The NGOs will also fight against pollution of agricultural land in Erode and Coimbatore by the textile industry and pollution by leather industries in Vellore and Dindigul. Enforcement of groundwater regulation and protection of ponds and lakes and industrial water bodies from encroachment for industrial and commercial purposes will also be taken up.