Heritage & environment
| Title | Heritage & environment
an Indian diary Heritage and environment |
|---|---|
| Author | Shyam Chainani |
| Publication | Urban Design Research Institute |
| Size | 530 pages, 1 unn |
| Language |  ENG |
| ISBN | 8190197444 |
| Topics |
Historic preservation--India City planning--India City planning Chainani, Shyam (Shyam Hashmatrai) Historic preservation |
| Notes | Review ( by Anil Ekbote) : Heritage and Environment - an Indian Diary / Shyam Chainani. === This is an interestingly written scholarly book on heritage and environment of various places of India. Shyam Chainani, a leading environmental thinker and campaigner of India, begins with Mumbai and takes up other areas such as New Delhi,Pachamani, Hyderabad, Mahabaleshwar and Panchagani. He tells the readers how eco-sensitive zoning started and finally became a reality and narrates the grim struggle to save vast cantonment areas from the greed of land sharks. The struggle to prevent Nhava Shiva and Mumbai Port from destroying the coastal ecology and heritage caves is tense. Chainani frankly exposes the manner in which politicians, bureaucrats and business men joined hands to pillage the environment of places like the exquisite coastal state of Goa. Well researched and professionally brought out the book is a veritable encyclopaedia for environment lovers and activists as there are several useful lists of sources and references. Lay readers’ interest is kept alive by the author narrating the course his life has followed, especially when pitted against government officials. He also falls back on the experiences of expert campaigners and environment activists such as Claude Alvares and bluntly reveals how even officers, who have powers but little wisdom or integrity, admit that the Environment Protection Act has been reduced to a farce. Very subtly he also reveals various undercurrents of his strategies to overcome hurdles and further the cause of environment. The author, true to his nature, expresses strong views on various matters. But along with, he also sincerely admits his erroneous judgments and mistakes like in the case of CRZ Rules where he accepts that Environment Secretary Rajamani and Environment Minister Maneka Gandhi were right and he, wrong. In the preface itself he says, “I have committed many mistakes and have been responsible for several blunders, some of omission others of commission. |
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