Beyond ‘Environment Day’: The Everyday Ecological Justice Struggles Across India to save Commons, Humans & All Species

7^th June, 2025: As the world marked yet another Environment Day on 5^th June, the National Alliance for Climate and Ecological Justice (NACEJ), a pan Indian forum of NAPM, brought together voices from different parts of the country in an online press conference on 6^th June, to share the current status of ecological justice struggles. Speakers from Kashmir, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Telangana, Rajasthan, Chhattisgarh, Haryana, Odisha, and other states addressed the Press Conference. These voices reinforced the reality that both the Central Govt and different states governments are majorly complicit in environmental violations, enabling large profiteering, extractive agendas of mega-corporations, unleashing repression on democratic movements. Moderated by well-known environmental activist Soumya Dutta, the meeting saw good participation from both media and movements.

Speaking from the 12 years’ experience of the Hasdeo struggle, Alok Shukla called out the devastation amidst repression across Chhattisgarh. He pointed out that over 4 lakh hectares of forest would be destroyed for the 40 coal blocks, which would be an irreplaceable loss. Calling for national solidarity with the Hasdeo movement and against Adani’s ventures, he also highlighted the large-scale violations of Constitutional rights in the state and utter contempt for the decisions of the Adivasi Gram Sabhas. Naseer Dar from Kashmir spoke of the adverse impact of unregulated tourism on fishing and livestock-based communities in the mountainous regions. He said that the fisher people of Wular and across other water bodies have been asserting land rights and water rights, despite state neglect. He drew attention to the erratic change in climatic conditions that has been affecting natural resources, causing unpredictable rainfall and livelihood impacts.

Vishvaja from Chennai challenged the destruction in the name of ‘Waste to Energy’ Projects and said how this is not only an environmental hazard, impacting wetlands and species, but also a public health concern and exacerbated caste inequities in places like North Chennai, where communities have faced historical marginalization and close to 40 red category industries are already operating there. She also said the WtE project in North Chennai would affect the residential area of 10 lakh people. Similar struggles have been going on against WtE plants in Gujarat, Delhi, Hyderabad etc. 

Frontline fighters for India’s oldest geological & ecological heritage, Kailash Meena and Neelam Ahluwalia bemoaned the spree of destructive activities across the 700-km Aravalli range by reckless mining to fuel real estate ‘development’. Neelam said that a Citizens’ Report which People for Aravallis recently submitted to the government shows how licensed mining and stone crushing units across the Haryana Aravallis have been flouting rules & regulations, and how illegal mining continues brazenly in most districts. In Charkhi Dadri and Bhiwani, licensed mining operations have wiped out most of the 2-billion-year-old range. Kailash Mina said that with mining and stone crushing contaminating the water, land and air, many people are suffering from lung, kidney, liver and skin ailments. With the hills vanishing, cattle grazing areas and medicinal plants are both disappearing. Crop productivity is falling as the ground water table has fallen to 1000 to 2000 feet and crops are covered with a layer of silica dust from the stone crushers. NGT orders are brazenly being flouted.

Rajkumar Sinha spoke of the environmental impacts due to the cascade of dams on the Narmada River, with particular reference to the serious impact on fish in the reservoirs, causing a huge livelihood crisis. While the Adivasi-led resistance against the Chutka nuclear power plant has been continuing since 2009, another nuclear project is being proposed in the Bargi dam region. Exposing the hoax of ‘dam water for farmers’, he stated that water is majorly being diverted for industries, in particular, thermal plants. He also spoke of new projects in the region such as ‘Floating solar plants’ on reservoirs. He called for a basin-level review of the costs and benefits of the Narmada dams.

Connecting the various issues, Medha Patkar raised the larger reality of completely wrong priorities of the State, undemocratic decisions and arbitrary clearances to projects, violating the Constitution. She also condemned the mass exploitation of natural resources, be it through sand mining, deforestation or land acquisition by diluting laws, to benefit corporate interests. She drew attention to the severe climate impacts on crores of informal sector workers, in particular outdoor workers such as those employed in the construction sector and called for suitable measures to address climate concerns as well as workers’ rights.

Drawing from the experience of the struggle against the Pune Riverfront project, Santosh Lalwani highlighted the flawed infrastructural approach of obstructing natural river flows. He said that across cities, local citizens’ initiatives have been mushrooming, questioning the riverfront projects and Governments owe it to people to be transparent and accountable, in their plans and projects for urbanization and river management. Malaymit Lepcha referred to the adverse ecological impacts of multiple hydropower projects on Teesta River in Sikkim and exposed that even the so-called rehabilitation and resettlement claimed by the state had failed miserably. She asked why the Indian Government did not declare the 2023 flood in Sikkim as a national emergency / disaster, and why the Government was hurriedly pushing for reconstruction of the Teesta III dam.

Ravi Kanneganti from Telangana pointed to large projects that are diverting and destroying agricultural land in the state. The Pharma city proposed over 19,000 acres is likely to become a Future city gobbling up 30,000 acres. Across Telangana, there have been uprisings against polluting ethanol plants that are being promoted falsely as producers of ‘clean bio-fuels’. He also demanded an end to the diversion of 2,900- acres of pristine forest land in Damagundam for a Navy Radar Station, bypassing public consultations.

Malaika spoke of the potential ecological devastation due to the disastrous coastal road project in Mumbai. Fisher organizations have repeatedly expressed their concerns about the project impact on their livelihoods and fishing grounds. Of utmost concern is the impact on 51,000 mangroves and felling of 9000 mangroves.  She demanded that the Versova-Dahisar Coastal Road Project must be cancelled, as it would cause irreparable damage to the mangroves, unique biodiversity and increase the risk of flooding.

NACEJ has also been lending solidarity to important grassroots struggles in Odisha and Arunachal Pradesh, led by adivasi and indigenous communities. Prafulla Samantara (Odisha) and Ebo Mili (Arunachal) joined, although both could not speak due to connectivity issues. The common pattern of state repression and militarization, in response to ground struggles, is condemnable. We demand a review of destructive hydro projects in the Siang Valley of Arunachal and dialogue with communities, instead of militarization. NACEJ also calls for withdrawal of the arbitrary notification of the Odisha Govt dt. 4^th June, barring entry of 24 activists into Rayagada district for 2 months, a move to protect the mining corporations!

The Press Conference concluded with full solidarity to the Palestinian cause, against the genocide by Govt of Israel, backed by powerful Western nations. NACEJ members resonate with the call of global climate activist Greta Thunberg who said that genocide and ecocide are deeply intertwined and we must struggle to end both. NACEJ believes that the struggles for ecological and climate justice are universal and everyday in nature. The people’s powerful voices expose the optics of the state and corporations that attempt at greenwashing, even as they have been hugely complicit in a range of violations.

Watch the full press conference:

Contact for details:  E-mail: [email protected]

 
NACEJ members across India are grassroots movement activists, ecologists, climate scientists, environmental researchers and lawyers, working to address Climate Crisis, through an Ecological and Social Justice Approach, upholding human rights and co-existence of all species.