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On law and the environment

One more World Environment Day is being observed on Monday. Various programmes have been organised in the city to mark the occasion.

An interesting event is the releasing of the second edition of a volume on the legal aspect of environment. The book, titled `Environmental Law Case Book,' is written by P.Leelakrishnan, vice-chairman of Parisara Niyama Vedi of the Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad.

A compilation of judicial decisions and commentaries on them, the book is divided into six parts and 18 chapters. It discusses the old law of public nuisance as a tool for environment protection and the general issues of pollution control, including air and water.

The book offers a bird's eye view on the problems of trying environmental offences and on environment impact assessment process. The provisions of environment impact assessment with public inquiry and public participation were introduced with much fanfare. But, on the practical level, the process has been reduced to a mere sham in several instances.

In general, this book highlights the scope of judicial review of environmental decisions from the standpoint of its constraints, constitutional issues, doctrines formulated and the glaring problems in Bhopal litigation. It looks at the concept of sustainable development in the light of land use pattern, ecology, coastal zone management, large projects and forest habitat.

The book will be released by S.G. Bhatt, Vice-Chancellor of the National University for Advanced Legal Studies (NUALS), at Maharaja's College at 4 p.m. Prof. Bhatt will also inaugurate the meeting. Parisara Niyama Vedi chairman P. Balagangadhara Menon will preside.

U.K. Gopalan, well-known environmentalist and former scientist with the National Institute of Oceanography, will deliver the Environmental Day Lecture.

K.S. Mohanadas, principal, Maharaja's College, P. Karthikeyan, Head of Department of Chemistry, Maharaja's College and G. Sadasivan Nair, Director, School of Legal Studies, CUSAT will speak.

Renu Ramanath

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