Draft EIA 2020
The Environment Impact Assessment is an essential tool to ensure that any development project considers the voices of the people and prioritises environmental protection, public health, and local livelihoods.
The Draft EIA2020 Notification dilutes many environmental regulations, gives clearances to hazardous industries and reduces scope for public voice to be heard. And this too during COVID when we should be building back green.
This is unacceptable. Read more to know what you can do
Art by Nivedita
Recent Projects
Renewable Energy Research
A 3 month long research project with around 30 young people who were passionate to learn how to conduct academic research and write up a research paper. We took on the topic of Renewable Energy in India and have explored various different forms of energy. The papers are not intended to claim any form of energy is best for India, but rather, explore the general pros and cons of each type within the context of India.
10 Week Education Program with DLRC
We conducted a fun educational program about environmental justice and local governance with 8th-11th grade children from DLRC School, Pune. Through field work, discussions, and interactions with experts, we covered topics such as urban planning, waste collection and management, water supply and rivers, environmental law, art & activism, writing and filing RTIs, and public consultations.
Pass The Mic
A video screening to listen to the voices of those who have been unheard by decision makers, corporates, mainstream media, and urban elite.
The video covers issues ranging from land laws and rights, fishing commons and pollution issues with mining, to tribal rights, ecological damage, and police violence against locals.
Videos from Godda (Jharkhand), Kattupalli (Tamil Nadu), Goa, Mundra (Gujarat), Vizhinjam (Kerala), Kavalappara (Kerala), Farmer Protests (Delhi), and Juru Country (Queensland, Australia).
Wake Up to EIA 2020
An original song by Yugma Network.
Tracing India's environmental protest history, this song shows exactly why it is crucial for us to MAKE OUR VOICES COUNT. Originally written to #WithdrawEIA2020, the song is still extremely important today in light of the pandemic, the widescale environmental and social destruction, and the absolute lack of care for human, land, & ecological rights.
See More
Global Hunger Strike Relay for Justice in Thoothukudi - Sign up to fast for one day to show solidarity with the 30 year long people's movement
The Rights of Young Activists - Article by Ashish Kothari
Climate Change Plan for Bangalore - Webinar Series by ESG
A World Without World Bank - Short Videos by Senior Activists
World Without World Bank - Action Week 5th-9th April 2021
Why are Farmers Issues and Environmental Issues one - Medha Patkar and Devinder Sharma
Peoples Archive of Rural India - Living Journal and Archive of Rural India
Vikalp Sangam - Forest Rights and Gram Sabhas, Extraordinary Work of 'Ordinary' People, Ecosystem of Learning and more.
Stop Adani - Comprehensive resources on Adani and the atrocities it has unleashed on people in Australia and the Global South
AdivasiLivesMatter - A platform that works towards amplifying Adivasi and Tribal voices of India.
Foil Vedanta - Comprehensive resources on Vedanta and linking people’s movements from India, Zambia, Liberia, South Africa and elsewhere.
Follow Our Instagram @yugma_network
Environmental Justice Clinic
The Yugma Environmental Justice is a collective of law students across India working on legal solutions to achieve environmental justice through litigation, filing representations, research and advocacy on policies, and spreading awareness on legal rights and avenues for redressal.
22-Page Detailed Letter to the MOEFCC to Withdraw the Draft EIA2020 Notification
Drafted by the Jindal Global Law School Legal Aid Clinic and signed by law college students and clinics from across the country. The letter included a detailed break-up of the draft along with suggestions for each shortcoming, supported by legal research and cases. You can read the letter HERE.
News Features: The Indian Express, New Indian Express, Let Me Breathe, Uttarakhand News, Outlook India
Success!
Bengaluru Peripheral Ring Road Project will require a fresh public hearing for EIA due to our PIL. The initial hearing was held online, which was inaccessible to many marginalised and impacted communities. This ruling sets a new precedent under which, all hearings for any project across India going forward will require a physical hearing, unless otherwise ruled by the Supreme Court.
Read the article HERE
Read our work about the PRR HERE
Recent Work - Reports and Summaries
Case laws on 'conflicts of Interest'
Research on scientists who are involved in preparing EIA's through various institutions are also members of environmental decision making boards/committees which is a clear conflict of interest.
Case laws on implementation of State Tree Acts
Every state has their respective Tree Act, under which a Tree Authority is constituted and acts. However, it is largely observed that such Tree Authorities or Tree Officers are reduced to rubber stamp authorities to grant Tree felling permission in revenue areas. One of the key functions of such an Authority is to carry out Tree census, which is hardly done. This work is regarding the defunct Tree Authority in Goa since the Goa Daman & Diu Tree Preservation Act 1984 was passed by the State legislature.
Construction near ESZs and National Parks
Can new resorts be constructed within the 10km deemed ESZ of any National Park or Wildlife sanctuaries? If yes, what sort of clearances are required? What is the status of ESZ of Nagarhole Tiger Reserve? What are the violations which occurred in order to grant wildlife clearance for the double tracking for the Castlerock-Kulem railway line?
Purview of Judicial Review in Executive Decision-Making
The executive cannot decide powers of a statutory body that has been constituted through a statute. This is what has been done in Mollem where, through an office memorandum, various statutory body such as the NTCA (National Tiger Conservation Authority) and other statutory bodies have been amalgamated into one body, headed by an MOEF officer. These bodies have become ineffective and cannot function independently. Question is, can the executive can do this through an office memorandum?
Volunteer
Click the button below to learn how you can join the network and volunteer in new projects and campaigns. We are also open to suggestions for new projects :)
Currently Active: Campaigns, Content and Journalism Team, Language Society, Caste and Language Project, EIA Participation Research, Environmental Laws Database
Events
Be a part of exciting discussions with experts, youth, local communities and people working on-ground!
You can browse all our events below.
If you would like to host an event with us (digital or on ground), please email us at yugmanetwork@gmail.com or DM us on instagram.
Testimonials
"It is inspiring to see today's youth take up local to global ecological causes. I am really impressed by how fast Yugma has come onto the scene, how much it has reached out to young people, and how it has taken up issues through the radical lens of justice. Its focus on using multiple Indian languages is especially remarkable! If it stays on course, always open to learning, and being inclusive of youth from all backgrounds, it will go far... "
~ Ashish Kothari
About Yugma
The Yugma Network is a pan-Indian youth initiative that works towards achieving ground-level environmental justice by extending the environmental movement and conversation in local languages.
Our aim is to broaden the definition of environmental to socio-cultural, economical and political issues, and to include various perspectives such as caste, class, indigenous communities and gender in the discourse.