Environmental Justice in Southern India – A Reflection on Sustainable Development

By Cassandra Szabo, 2nd year MDP student

Sand mining happening in Baikady Village

This research project led by Dr. Alan Diduck and Dr. Kirit Patel was focused on environmental justice for marginalized communities in southern India and my research project was looking at sand mining in a small village outside a city called Udupi.

While doing this research it was clear to see the interconnectedness of environmental, social, and economic issues. For instance one impact of sand mining on the village besides the environmental effects was that there was no longer fish or clams in the water for their sustenance as well as for their economy – thus not only the environment, but the economy and the diet of the villagers was being impacted. The noticeable ripple effects in the village caused by the sand mining led to the realization of the importance of multifaceted community development solutions.

The case that I was working on looked at how the National Green Tribunal in India managed the issue of sand mining for Baikady Village, and in hearing stories from the villagers it is clear that certain aspects of wellbeing and development were missing from the situation. For instance, the villagers would mention that they had a very hard time getting the government to take their claims seriously, they spent many years bringing their concerns to the government and it was only when they got a local lawyer and advocate involved were they able to make progress with the issue. When the case went to the courts there was a positive outcome, and the removal of sand was prohibited from the river, however the community is still struggling from the after effects. The villagers fear for their safety from the sand mafia, the fishing economy is still suffering, and the risk of flooding is very high.

Cassandra with the community members that advocated to stop sand mining

While the National Green Tribunal is a court and not a development organization, there is still space to include positive community development solutions. For example the court could implement remediation and rehabilitation efforts that would include collaboration with the relevant areas of the government, in which they could create a strategic plan for the community to create economic growth and come up with a flood plan. The National Green Tribunal focused on the environmental risks such as how sand removal is impacting the river, however they forgot the social, economic, and political aspects of this situation and thus only improved one facet of this village’s wellbeing.

While there is no fool proof process for development or solving such complex issues, the United Nations has come up with some strategies to try to accomplish this. The idea of multifaceted and interconnected development solutions is very much present in the United Nations Sustainable Development goals that were introduced in 2016.

The Sustainable Development Goals are a set of 17 goals that are goals and targets for developed and developing countries. These goals focus on a few key themes such as poverty alleviation, democracy, peacebuilding, climate change and disaster preparedness, and economic inequality. Each of the 17 goals then have markers and targets as to how to reach that specific goal. The reason these goals are so important is because the SDG’s are trying to look at community development in a holistic way, looking at all aspects that contribute to wellbeing. Perhaps if there were more understanding of these 17 targets the case of Baikady village would have had a better-rounded outcome for the villagers.

Source:https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/news/communications-material/

Environmental Justice and Participation for Communities in Southern India

By Cassandra Szabo, 2nd year MDP student

I, another MDP student (Ari Phanlouvong) and undergraduate student (Sean Goldstone) from the University of Winnipeg were selected to participate in a research project led by Dr. Alan Diduck and Dr. Kirit Patel of the University of Winnipeg. This research project is a SSHRC funded project and is seeking to understand the impact of a judicial bench called the National Green Tribunal in India, hoping to understand the effect these decisions are having on all levels of individuals in the country. 

Cassandra at the office in Honnavar, Karntaka

In preparation for our time in India we chose specific cases that were in line with our own academic interests. I chose a case that was related to fishing and sand mining in a community called Baikady Village. Upon reviewing the literature, the case appeared to be quite simple – the community came to the National Green Tribunal, the court ruled in favour of the community and ruled that sandbar removal permits only be issued in very specific cases and only to local community members. Of course, once arriving on site the reality was much more nuanced.

Upon speaking with the village they informed me that while the National Green Tribunal ruled in their favour it took many years to get to that point, and to stop the sand mining. The mining impacted the village very negatively, some villagers lost their lives, some lost their livelihoods, and some their land. 

Map of Baikady Village. Heavy sand removal areas are outlined in red. Source: Google Earth

The sand mining caused erosion of the river bank which meant that there could be no collection of clams, and it also meant that the water was much deeper so when community members went to collect clams they were at risk of drowning. In addition to this the fish were no longer coming for their typical breeding cycle, which then meant that other birds or animals dependent on that food source were not coming to the river – the entire food cycle was disrupted. The coconut trees that were farmed on the banks of the river were falling into the river due to erosion. While the clam collection and coconut farming were noticeable impacts, perhaps the largest issue was that local fishers were now losing their ability to fish. The fish were no longer in the river, the river was much deeper than before, and the fishing nets were being damaged. So the community lost multiple streams of revenue, their community felt unsafe, and they were losing their land due to erosion.  

A traditional fishing boat on the banks of the Suvarna River

These negative effects are what spurred the community to action, they first went to their local government and then the district government, all to no avail. The community got in touch with activists and then created their case with the National Green Tribunal. The verdict was that all sand mining be barred and that sandbar removal be monitored strictly. The community was happy with this as the sand miners and migrant workers largely left the community. However little environmental remediation has occurred since the verdict, but the community can see the river health slowly improving. The villagers showed immense courage and perseverance in protecting their land and livelihoods, and this case also shows the importance and power in non-partisan judicial systems.