Dear Sir/Madam,
Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan wishes you a very Happy New Year 2016.
On the occasion of the new year, I seek this as an opportunity to thank you for your support to Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan and being there in the times when we needed you the most. We are really grateful for your involvements and we wish in coming years, our engagement grows stronger. I would also like to inform you that this January, Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation (VENHF) will complete four years of existence. The year 2015 has been a very important year for us and we see it as an inspiration to continue the work this year too. Following are few of the highlights of how the year 2015 went for us.
Litigations: Last year was very much hectic for us and the year started with our litigations in court-Kanhar Dam and Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant. While final judgment came in Kanhar dam issue on 7th May, 2015-a contempt application is being heard in National Green Tribunal which deals with shortcomings in the report submitted by the high level committee and the violation of May judgment by State of Uttar Pradesh. Our another important matter – Welspun Energy’s Thermal Power Plant, Environment Clearance of which was challenged in October, 2014 is still sub-judice to the court and there has been one effective hearing in 2015. Another matter was filed on 31st December, 2014 seeking compensation for loss to fisheries and biodiversity in River Ganga which is also sub-judice to the court.
Critiques/Reviews: Our review of the ‘Draft Emission Standards for Thermal Power Plants’ in June, 2015 was appreciated worldwide and in India. We were also able to come up with a very good review on the ‘Draft Notification on Eco-sensitive zone around Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary’, in Uttar Pradesh which have inputs and endorsements of several eminent ecologists, wildlife experts and organizations in India. We have also sent a short representation on the ‘Draft Environment Laws Amendment Bill, 2015’.
Publications: Last year we saw our first peer-reviewed publication in an international journal. The paper which is published by our veteran expert Dr. Laxmi Goparaju using remote sensing/GIS explains how Welspun Energy twiddles with its land use data in its EIA report. We were also quite surprised with another publication in November, 2015 by Center for Law, Justice and Society, Colombia and The Business and Human Rights Resource Centre, London titled "Digging Deeper: The Human Rights Impacts of Coal in the Global South" which highlighted our efforts in exposing Welspun Energy’s malpractices in obtaining the Environment Clearance for the Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant. Both of the documents are available online under free license on their respective websites and also on our server.
Others: We are continuously improving our website and trying very hard to make it a data centre for updates, news, scientific papers on the issues we are working. We have added 2 more portal in addition to the Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant- First, Kanhar Dam Resource Page which hosts approx. 250 news articles and a dozens of reports from various organizations compiled at one place. Presently, we are updating it on bi-weekly basis. Our second portal which is still in developing stage is ‘Saving the Habitats’ portal which has presently information on wildlife of Mirzapur Forests Division and recent updates on man-animal interactions in Mirzapur. We will soon add information on Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary very soon.
It also gives me pleasure to inform you that in 2015, VENHF became partnering organization of EKOenergy network, an international network of 38 environmental organizations from 28 countries working to promote sustainable energy and which is also an ecolabel for renewable electricity.
As you may be aware that all our members are responsible for their own work and finance, it becomes very necessary that we show our gratitude to our members and volunteers who have supported us in this initiative since I remember. On behalf of all our members, we would also like to say special thanks to our advisors and other experts who have guided us throughout our journey despite of their busy schedule and other commitments. We are really thankful to all of you.
We wish this year brings lots of happiness and prosperity in your life. We hope that we will be able to continue our work with same passion and spirit.
Regards
Debadityo Sinha
Managing Trustee,
Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation
Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan
