What is an Environmental Movement :-
• An environmental movement can be defined as a social or political movement, for the conservation of environment or for the improvement of the state of the environment. The terms ‘green movement’ or ‘conservation movement’ are alternatively used to denote the same.
• The environmental movements favour the sustainable management of natural resources. The movements often stress the protection of the environment via changes in public policy. Many movements are centred on ecology, health and human rights.
• Environmental movements range from the highly organized and formally institutionalized ones to the radically informal activities.
• The spatial scope of various environmental movements ranges from being local to the almost global.
Major Environmental Movements in India :-
1. Bishnoi Movement :-
● Year: 1700s
● Place: Khejarli, Marwar region, Rajasthan state.
● Leaders: Amrita Devi along with Bishnoi villagers in Khejarli and surrounding villages.
● Aim: Save sacred trees from being cut down by the king’s soldiers for a new palace.
2. Chipko Movement :-
● Year: 1973
● Place: In Chamoli district and later at Tehri-Garhwal district of Uttarakhand.
● Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna, Gaura Devi, Sudesha Devi, Bachni Devi, Chandi Prasad Bhatt, Govind Singh Rawat, Dhoom Singh Negi, Shamsher Singh Bisht and Ghanasyam Raturi.
● Aim: The main objective was to protect the trees on the Himalayan slopes from the axes of contractors of the forest.
3. Save Silent Valley Movement :-
● Year: 1978
● Place:- Silent Valley, an evergreen tropical forest in the Palakkad district of Kerala, India.
● Leaders:- The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) an NGO, and the poet-activist Sughathakumari played an important role in the Silent Valley protests.
● Aim: - In order to protect the Silent Valley, the moist evergreen forest from being destroyed by a hydroelectric project.
4. Jungle Bachao Andholan :-
● Year: 1982
● Place: Singhbhum district of Bihar
● Leaders:- The tribals of Singhbhum.
● Aim:- Against governments decision to replace the natural sal forest with Teak.
5. Narmada Bachao Andholan (NBA) :-
● Year: 1985
● Place: Narmada River, which flows through the states of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
● Leaders: Medha Patker, Baba Amte, adivasis, farmers, environmentalists and human rights activists.
● Aim:- A social movement against a number of large dams being built across the Narmada River.
6. Tehri Dam Conflict :-
● Year: 1990’s
● Place: Bhagirathi River near Tehri in Uttarakhand.
● Leaders: Sundarlal Bahuguna
● Aim:- The protest was against the displacement of town inhabitants and environmental consequence of the weak ecosystem.