Environmental Movement - UPSC Environment Notes

An environmental movement refers to a social or political initiative aimed at either conserving the environment or enhancing its overall condition.
It is often interchangeably referred to as the ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement.’
These movements advocate for the sustainable management of natural resources, emphasizing the protection of the environment through alterations in public policies.
Many such movements focus on aspects of ecology, health, and human rights.
Environmental movements exhibit a wide spectrum, ranging from highly organized and formally institutionalized endeavors to those characterized by radical informality.
The spatial reach of these movements varies, encompassing local efforts as well as those with nearly global implications.

Table of Contents

MAJOR ENVIRONMENT MOVEMENTS IN INDIA

BISHNOI MOVEMENT

Time Period: 1700s
Location: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
Leaders: Amrita Devi, along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
Objective: To prevent the cutting down of sacred trees by the king’s soldiers for the construction of a new palace.
Key Details: Amrita Devi, a female villager, couldn’t bear to witness the destruction of her faith and the village’s sacred trees. She, along with others, hugged the trees in protest. Tragically, 363 Bishnoi villagers lost their lives during this movement.
The Bishnoi tree martyrs were followers of Guru Maharaj Jambaji, who established the Bishnoi faith in 1485, emphasizing principles that prohibited harm to trees and animals.
Upon learning about these events, the king rushed to the village, apologized, and ordered the soldiers to halt the logging operations.
Subsequently, the maharajah declared the Bishnoi state a protected area, prohibiting harm to trees and animals.
This legislation remains in effect in the region to this day.

CHIPKO MOVEMENTS

Year: 1973
Location: Chamoli district and later Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht, and Ghanasyam Raturi.
Objective: To protect trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of forest contractors.
Sundarlal Bahuguna played a crucial role in educating villagers about the significance of trees in the environment, emphasizing their role in preventing soil erosion, promoting rainfall, and providing clean air.
Women in the Advani village of Tehri-Garhwal symbolically tied sacred threads around tree trunks and hugged the trees, leading to the movement being called the ‘Chipko Movement’ or ‘hug the tree movement.’
The primary demand of the protesters was for the benefits of the forests, especially the right to fodder, to be directed to the local people.
The Chipko movement gained momentum in 1978 when women faced police firings and other forms of torture.
Hemwati Nandan Bahuguna, the then Chief Minister, responded by establishing a committee to investigate the matter.
The committee eventually ruled in favor of the villagers, marking a pivotal moment in the history of eco-development struggles in the region and globally.

SAVE SILENT VALLEY MOVEMENTS

Year: 1978
Location: Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
Leaders: The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP), an NGO, and the poet-activist Sughathakumari played crucial roles in the Silent Valley protests.
Objective: To protect the Silent Valley, a moist evergreen forest, from destruction caused by a proposed hydroelectric project.
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposed a hydroelectric dam across the Kunthipuzha River, which runs through Silent Valley.
In February 1973, the Planning Commission approved the project with an estimated cost of about Rs 25 crores.
Concerns arose that the project would submerge 8.3 sq km of pristine moist evergreen forest.
Several NGOs vehemently opposed the project, urging the government to abandon it.
In January 1981, succumbing to relentless public pressure, Indira Gandhi declared that Silent Valley would be protected.
In June 1983, the issue was re-examined by a commission chaired by Prof. M.G.K. Menon.
Subsequently, in November 1983, the Silent Valley Hydroelectric Project was canceled. In 1985, Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi formally inaugurated the Silent Valley National Park.

JUNGLE BACHAO ANDOLAN

Year: 1982
Location: Singhbhum district of Bihar
Leaders: The tribals of Singhbhum
Objective: Opposition to the government’s decision to replace natural sal forests with teak.
The tribal communities in the Singhbhum district of Bihar initiated the Jungle Bachao Andolan in protest against the government’s decision to substitute the indigenous sal forests with the more expensive teak.
This action was criticized by many as a manifestation of “Greed Game Political Populism.”
Subsequently, the movement expanded to encompass regions in Jharkhand and Orissa.

APPIKO MOVEMENT

Year: 1983
Location: Uttara Kannada and Shimoga districts of Karnataka State
Leaders: While not driven by a specific personality, the movement had a facilitator in Pandurang Hegde who played a crucial role in its initiation in 1983.
Objective: Opposition to the felling and commercialization of natural forests and the degradation of traditional livelihoods.
The Appiko Movement, locally known as “Appiko Chaluvali,” can be considered the southern counterpart of the Chipko movement.
Local communities embraced the trees marked for cutting by forest department contractors.
The movement employed various awareness-raising techniques, including foot marches in the interior forest, slide shows, folk dances, street plays, and more.
The second focus of the movement was to promote afforestation on depleted lands.
Subsequently, the movement shifted its attention to the sustainable use of the ecosystem by introducing alternative energy resources to alleviate pressure on the forest.
The movement achieved success, and the current status of the project is reported to be halted.

NARMADA BACHAO ANDOLAN

Year: 1985
Location: Narmada River, flowing through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, and Maharashtra.
Leaders: Medha Patkar, Baba Amte, Adivasis, farmers, environmentalists, and human rights activists.
Objective: A social movement opposing the construction of several large dams across the Narmada River.
The movement initially emerged as a protest against inadequate rehabilitation and resettlement for people displaced by the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam.
Subsequently, it broadened its focus to include the preservation of the environment and ecosystems of the Narmada Valley.
Activists demanded a reduction in the dam’s height from the proposed 130 meters to 88 meters. The World Bank withdrew from the project.
The environmental concerns were taken to court, and in October 2000, the Supreme Court approved the construction of the Sardar Sarovar Dam with the condition that the dam’s height could be raised to 90 meters.
While this height was higher than the 88 meters demanded by anti-dam activists, it was lower than the proposed 130 meters.
The project is now primarily financed by state governments and market borrowings, with an expected completion date of 2025.
Although not entirely successful in preventing the dam, the NBA has significantly influenced public opinion against large dams in India and internationally.
It raised questions about the development paradigm and, as a democratic movement, adhered to Gandhian principles.

TEHRI DAM CONFLICT

Year: 1990s
Location: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
Leader: Sundarlal Bahuguna
Objective: The protest aimed to address concerns related to the displacement of town inhabitants and the environmental impact on the fragile ecosystem.
The Tehri Dam gained national attention in the 1980s and 1990s, with major objections focusing on the seismic sensitivity of the region and the submergence of forest areas, including Tehri town.
Despite support from prominent leaders such as Sunderlal Bahuguna, the movement struggled to garner sufficient popular support both nationally and internationally.

FAQs – Environmental Movements

1-What is an environmental movement?

An environmental movement is a social or political initiative dedicated to either conserving the environment or improving its overall condition. It is often referred to interchangeably as the ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement.’ These movements advocate for the sustainable management of natural resources and emphasize environmental protection through changes in public policies. They can focus on various aspects, including ecology, health, and human rights.

2-How diverse are environmental movements?

Environmental movements exhibit a broad spectrum, ranging from highly organized and formally institutionalized efforts to those characterized by radical informality. The nature and structure of these movements can vary significantly.

3-What is the spatial scope of environmental movements?

The spatial reach of environmental movements can vary widely, encompassing local efforts as well as those with nearly global implications. Movements may address local environmental issues or advocate for broader global concerns.

4-What is the Bishnoi Movement?

Time Period: 1700s
Location: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
Leaders: Amrita Devi, along with Bishnoi villagers.
Objective: To prevent the cutting down of sacred trees by the king’s soldiers for a new palace.
Key Details: The Bishnoi villagers, influenced by Guru Maharaj Jambaji’s teachings, protested by hugging trees. Tragically, 363 Bishnoi villagers lost their lives. The movement led to the protection of the Bishnoi state as a sacred area.

5-What is the Chipko Movement?

Year: 1973
Location: Chamoli district and Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, and others.
Objective: To protect trees on the Himalayan slopes from forest contractors.
Key Details: Sundarlal Bahuguna educated villagers on the importance of trees, and women symbolically hugged trees. The movement demanded local benefits from forests and gained momentum in 1978 with police firings.

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Environmental Movement – UPSC Environment Notes