AHMEDABAD: A video of a pride of 14 lions quenching their thirst from a mad-made water pond some 20 km away from Gir sanctuary in neighbouring Amreli district went viral on social media on Thursday. Once a rare sight, videos capturing huge lion families have become rather common place with …
MUMBAI: The National Human Rights Commission ( NHRC) held a review meeting in Mumbai on Thursday. Representatives of various NGOs pointed out that the chairperson of the state human rights commission had not been appointed by the state government. The commission was also informed that the meeting of the state …
March organised by the National Alliance of People’s Movements Thousands of urban poor of Mumbai marched on the streets of the city, covering a distance of about 30 km in two days, demanding land, housing rights, dignity and equal rights. The march was organised by the National Alliance of People’s …
Clause debarring judges from making verbal comments against any constitutional authority in open courts retained, with some change The Cabinet today cleared the controversial Land Acquisition Bill, which also addresses disputed takeovers of the past and seeks to resolve these. The renamed Bill — The Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement, …
“If a dam on Kosi did not stop floods, this too will be a waste” Airing scepticism over the inter-linking of rivers serving the desired purpose, social activist Medha Patkar on Sunday charged Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar with embarking on the project in the State without consulting people. “I …
A 12-member group of ministers (GoM) headed by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, formed to vet certain provisions in the controversial Land Acquisition Bill, met in New Delhi on Thursday, but did not take any decision on the draft legislation. The meeting took place amid criticisms from civil society activists that …
No case for review is made out both on the grounds of delay as well as on merits The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to entertain a petition filed by the Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) seeking review of the inter-linking of rivers (ILR) judgment on the ground that the …
If the hundreds displaced in the Narmada valley owe the good deal they got to the Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA), there are thousands of others who have been deprived of benefits they would potentially have got had the pressure group allowed development projects to be completed on time. From Jal …
Among major projects stalled awaiting new legislation are Posco, ArcelorMittal, Tata Steel and Coal India More than a century after it was drawn up by British colonial rulers, India's land acquisition law is finally set for a revamp that promises to breathe life into scores of frozen industrial and infrastructure …
The National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM) along with several civil society groups under the umbrella of “Sangharsh” is sitting on a three-day protest at Jantar Mantar here against the new land acquisition Bill. Terming the Right to Fair Compensation, Resettlement and Rehabilitation and Transparency in Land Acquisition Bill, 2012, …
Social activists seek withdrawal of false cases charged against protesters Condemning the alleged State repression of the democratic rights of the people of Kudankulam, a group of social activists has urged the Tamil Nadu government to drop the ‘false cases’ charged against them and to cancel the prohibitory orders in …
With the Land Acquisition Bill set to go to the Cabinet for approval, civil society groups, led by Medha Patkar, are bracing themselves for an agitation to thwart clauses that are seen by them as pro industry and harmful to the interests of farmers and communities owning land. Patkar alongwith …
Between 60 and 65 million people are estimated to have been displaced in India since Independence, the highest number of people uprooted for development projects in the world. “This amounts to around one million displaced every year since Independence,” says a report released recently by the Working Group on Human …
MUMBAI: Activist Medha Patkar will now take up the cudgels for railway stall operators who are upset with the Central Railway's ban on food items sold in plastic and metallic packets. The CR has already managed to get rid of food items packed in plastic wrappings from five stations. The …
The Supreme Court has refused to re-examine its judgement and expunge the adverse remarks made in it against Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) on the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar Dam project in Madhya Pradesh. The apex court dismissed the review petitions filed by the NBA saying that …
A three-judge Bench of the Supreme Court on May 3 dismissed petitions filed by Medha Patkar-led Narmada Bachao Andolan to review an apex court judgment and expunge adverse remarks made against the organisation in connection with the issue of land acquisition for Omkareshwar dam project in Madhya Pradesh. A Bench …
Environment directorate official inspects airport project site The row over the proposed private airport project at Aranmula has taken a new turn with the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) reportedly taking a serious view of the conversion of paddy fields and wetlands for setting up the project. The …
Angered by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to the controversial hill station project, Lavasa Lake City; activists of the National Alliance of People’s Movements (NAPM) are now planning to file a contempt suit against him. This was told to DNA by advocate Vishwambhar Chowdhury on Sunday. “Knowing well, that …
Farmers' protesting against the State Government's proposal to take over around 1,500 acres of “fertile” land for an industrial park would get a fillip when social activist Medha Patkar would join them to highlight their plight on Monday. Along with Ms. Patkar, the national convenor of National Alliance of People's …
Noted environmentalist Medha Patkar today declared that the water of river Subansiri belonged to the people living in its catchment areas and not to the corporate players and added that the movement against the dam on the Subansiri river was same as the Narmada Bachao Movement. She made these comments …
DHEMAJI: The anti-dam movement in Assam received a shot in the arm when Narmada Bachao Andolan (NBA) leader Medha Patkar on Thursday said that construction of big dams in the region must be stopped “at any cost”. The firebrand activist was addressing a public rally at Sauldhuaghat in Lakhimpur district. …
