Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation

Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation

Founded	2012
Founders	Debadityo Sinha, Shiva Kumar Upadhyaya and Ajai Swamee
Type	Environmental organization
Focus	Rivers, Forests, Biodiversity, Environmental justice
Location	Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Area served	Vindhya Range, Gangetic Plains, Himalayas
Services	Environmental protection
Method	Research, Advocacy, Education, Community mobilization, Litigation
Slogan	Save, Protect, Conserve
Website	vindhyabachao.org

The Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation (VENHF) is a registered non-profit organisation (2012) with its headquarter in Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, India working for protection and conservation of the nature, natural resources and rights of the nature dependent communities in the ecologically fragile landscape of Vindhya Range in India. Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan is the flagship campaign of the organization.

Programs

Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan

Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan (Hindi pronunciation: [viŋd̪ʱyaː batʃaːoː] English meaning: Save Vindhya Campaign) is the flagship program of VENHF which works towards environmental equity and bringing ecological justice through research based environmental litigation, strengthening grass-root environmental movements, supporting institution of local governance and protecting the rights of nature dependent indigenous communities.^[1]

Activities & Projects

Environmental Litigation

Kanhar Dam

Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan exposed the illegalities in environment clearance and forest clearance surrounding the controversial Kanhar Dam Project in Sonbhadra district, Uttar Pradesh on Kanhar River. The information collected by Vindhya Bachao using Right to Information Act, 2005 was the basis of challenging the construction of the dam.^[2][3] Members of Vindhya Bachao and People's Union for Civil Liberties challenged the project in National Green Tribunal, New Delhi.^[4][5] The construction of the dam was thereafter stayed by the National Green Tribunal in December, 2014.^[6][7][8]

The Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh government in April, 2015 took note of the irregularities highlighted by Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan and asked the Uttar Pradesh government to stop the construction until the survey and compensation for the affected villages are completed.^[9]

The National Green Tribunal passed its final judgement on 7 May 2015 staying any new construction to be undertaken but allowed the construction already underway. The court also formed a high level committee under chairmanship of Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttar Pradesh to report on the directions issued in the judgment.^[10][11][12] The members filed a review petition against the judgment passed by the Tribunal, following which the court gave a direction on 7 July 2015 that This Application is disposed of with an observation that upon filing of the report by High Power Committee; constituted under the Judgment of the Tribunal, the Tribunal will pass further directions after hearing the parties in regard to all matters as mentioned in the Judgment including Environmental Clearance and Forest Clearance.^[13] The Tribunal through its order dated 21 September 2015 issued a showcause notice to the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Uttar Pradesh for not submitting the report within the deadline.^[14] In one of the article published by Vindhya Bachao Abhiyan on its portal in December, 2015 states that the petitioners are unsatisfied with the report submitted by the committee and alleged that the State government is violating the judgment passed by the Tribunal in its 7 May 2015 order.^[15]

Vindhya Bachao Website has a separate portal Kanhar Dam Resource Page for sharing latest updates on Kanhar Dam case.^[16]

Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant

Members of Vindhya Bachao protesting against the Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant of Welspun Energy outside the SCOPE Complex, New Delhi on 18th November, 2013.

VENHF under the banner of Vindhya Bachao is opposing the 1320 MW Coal Based Thermal Power Station in Mirzapur proposed by Ms Welspun Energy U.P. Private Limited since the year 2013. In a site visit report published by Vindhya Bachao in September, 2013 it was claimed that the project proponent concealed the information on the presence of forests and several Schedule I species under Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 in the EIA Report it submitted to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (India). In 2013 it was reported by Down to Earth that the plan was "mired in controversy following allegations that the company concealed information about the presence of forestland and endangered wildlife at the project site. The farmers in the region have also been protesting against the project, alleging the company bought land for the project by cheating them." ^[17] Debadityo Sinha, founder of VENHF in his articles claimed that the project will be a threat to river Ganga and the upper Khajuri Reservoir for drinking and irrigation. It was apprehended that the project if comes into existence will also threat a historic waterfall of Mirzapur known as Wyndham Fall and will also jeopardise the drinking water supply of the newly established Rajiv Gandhi South campus of Banaras Hindu University. He also made an allegation that the Public Hearing process for the project was greatly compromised and local people were prohibited from entering the public hearing premises.^[18][19]

On November 18, 2013 members of Vindhya Bachao staged a peaceful protest outside the SCOPE complex in New Delhi where the Expert Appraisal Committee of the MoEF was meeting to consider the project.^[20]

In a research paper published by VENHF in an international open source scientific journal Present Environment and Sustainable Development of Walter de Gruyter in its October, 2015 edition, the land use land cover map of the project site submitted by the company is contradicted.^[21]

The project is presently subjudice to National Green Tribunal, Principal Bench at New Delhi where the members of Vindhya Bachao has challenged the EIA process and the Environmental Clearance granted to the project by the Government of India.^[22]

Vindhya Bachao Website has a separate portal Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant Resource Page with extensive information resources on the project, including site visit reports, minutes of MoEF meetings discussing the project, accounts of protests, and documents submitted by Welspun Energy.^[23]

Ganges River Conservation

Members of Vindhya Bachao along with Bharat Jhunjhunwala and other environmentalists wrote to the Ministry of Water Resources (India), World Bank and other states of India on the ecological and cultural impacts of reviving the National Waterway 1 on river Ganges.^[24][25]

Wildlife Conservation

Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary

VENHF sent a representation to the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India on the proposed draft notification declaring 1 km Eco-sensitive zone around the Kaimoor Wildlife Sanctuary. The representation was endorsed by renowned wildlife experts Mike Pandey and Asad Rahmani.^[26]

Saving the Habitat Campaign

VENHF hosts an information portal called Saving the Habitat which shares information on wildlife of Mirzapur. In December, 2014 the organization sent a representation to the Government of India demanding some areas of Mirzapur Forest Division to be declared as Protected areas of India.^[27]

Environmental Law and Advocacy

In June, 2015 VENHF reviewed the Draft Notification on Emission Standards for Thermal Power Plants in India and sent a representation to Government of India.^[28]

In October, 2015 VENHF sent a representation on the Draft Environment Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2015 to Government of India in which it claimed that the bill will dilute the Environment Protection Act, 1986.^[29]

Networking Organizations

VENHF is partner of EKOenergy^[30][31] and Global Call for Climate Action ^[32]

References