Constitutional Provisions Relating to the Environment and the Impact of PIL in Safeguarding the Environment in India

Environmental protection refers to policies and procedures aimed at conserving the natural resources, preserving the current state of natural environment and where possible, reversing its degradation. The question of Environmental protection is a global issue and it is not an isolated problem of any area or nation. India has enacted various laws at almost regular intervals to deal with the problem of environmental degradation. The Indian Constitution is amongst the few in the world that contains specific provisions on environment protection. The chapters directive principles of state policy and the fundamental duties are explicitly enunciated the nation commitment to protect and improve the environment. At the beginning of the 21st Century environment issues have emerged as a major concern for the welfare of the people. The environmental protection is nota new concept in India it is there in our Vedas. The Indian judiciary adopted the technique of public interest litigation (and judicial activism) for the cause of environmental protection in many cases. The Supreme Court & High Courts shaded the inhibitions against refusing strangers to present the petitions on behalf of poor and ignorant individuals. The basic ideology behind adopting PIL is that access to justice ought not to be denied to the needy for the lack of knowledge or finances. In PIL a public spirited individual or organization can maintain petition on behalf of poor & ignorant individuals - In the area of environmental protection, PIL has proved to be an effective tool. N. Srikanth"Constitutional Provisions Relating to the Environment and the Impact of PIL in Safeguarding the Environment in India" Published in International Journal of Trend in Scientific Research and Development (ijtsrd), ISSN: 2456-6470, Volume-2 | Issue-1 , December 2017, URL: http://www.ijtsrd.com/papers/ijtsrd7175.pdf http://www.ijtsrd.com/humanities-and-the-arts/environmental-science/7175/constitutional-provisions-relating-to-the-environment-and-the-impact-of-pil-in-safeguarding-the-environment-in-india/n-srikanth