Man’s greed destroying Periyar, says Justice Kurian Joseph

KOCHI: Praising the efforts of lawyers and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in safeguarding the environment, Justice

Kurian Joseph

, senior

Supreme Court judge

on Monday said that had they not taken up cudgels against rampant flouting of norms by industries, the biodiversity conservation efforts in the state would have had to suffer major setbacks.

Speaking at an environmental conference organised by the

Lawyers Environmental Awareness Forum

(Leaf) on Monday, justice Joseph said the presence of a strong legal community and NGOs ensured that various cases related to the environment were brought before the courts at the right time.

The court interventions helped in creating awareness among the members of the society about their constitutional rights and as a result, stringent laws were enforced, he said.

Referring to several cases related to man-animal conflicts, Justice Joseph said such cases played a significant role in developing environmental jurisprudence across the country.

He referred to the

Godavarman Thirumulpad case

, which led to the apex court’s intervention to save the forests of the country. He also suggested that the bar council insist on advocates planting trees during their enrolment.

Justice Joseph also expressed deep disappointment over the state of Periyar. He said it was during his tenure as a high court judge that an order was issued to put an end to illegal sand mining in the river.

At that time, it was also decided that each panchayat will set up Jagratha Samithis to ensure the protection of Periyar. Man’s greed was destroying the river, he pointed out. The sand on its banks disappeared because those who were supposed to be vigilant turned out to be corrupt, he said.