Contents: Vol. I: Prologue: How the journey began. 1. The Taj Mahal: defending a symbol of love. 2. Cultural heritage in Delhi: a poetic injustice. 3. The Holy Ganga: Our forsaken mother. 4. The Beas gets justice at last. 5. Delhi Vehicular Pollution: clearing the air. 6. Delhi Gas Leak: avoiding a second Bhopal. 7. The Delhi Master Plan: taking on the beast. 8. Industrial hazards: ensuring safety in Maharashtra and Gujarat. 9. Bichhri: making polluters pay. 10. The Vellore Tanneries: toxic waste controlled. 11. Gamma Chamber: radiation emanates from Campus. 12. Coastal Regulation Zones: India's way forward. 13. Aquaculture: the Shrimp invasion. 14. Dahanu: protecting paradise. 15. Child labour: a lingering legacy. 16. Child imprisonment: Orissa's forgotten children. 17. Gyasi Ram Habeas Corpus for the anguished. 18. Environmental education: hope for the future. Epilogue: Going on the offensive. Acknowledgements. References.
Vol. II: Foreword. Preface. Table of judgements and orders. 1. The Taj Mahal Case. 2. The Delhi Monuments Case. 3. The Ganga Pollution Case. 4. Protecting the Beas River. Appendix. Index.
Vol. III: Foreword. Preface. Table of judgements and orders. 5. The Oleum Gas Leak Case. 6. The Delhi Master Plan-Industries Case. 7. The Delhi Vehicular Pollution Case. 8. The Gamma Chamber Case. 9. The Child Labour Case. 10. The Children languishing in Jails Case. 11. The Environmental Education Case. 12. The Antop Hill Case. Appendix: Judgements and orders, continued. Index.
"Increasing desecration of a unique heritage and a precious environment pose a threat to India. This is being continually compounded and magnified by political apathy, ignorance, corruption and erroneous policies of successive governments.
In 1983 a concerned young lawyer reacted to this rampant destruction plaguing his country and decided it was time to take action. Turning to the Supreme Court of India as last hope for delivering Justice M.C. Mehta has fought relentlessly to preserve the rich culture and ecology of India.
These legal battles were not easily won. Arrayed against Mehta were the vested interests of people made rich through reckless exploitation of India's natural resources. Their complete lack of concern for the well being of the environment and people's life and health has led to a crisis situation in various parts of the Country.
Volume 1 of In the Public Interest contains narratives of Mehta's legal battles and his struggle to bring to light some of the gross violations of human rights before the Supreme Court.
Mehta's cases moved the judiciary into its new role of the protector of India's environment, heritage and people. The Supreme Court of India has taken on this onerous responsibility and used it as an opportunity to pioneer a pragmatic environmental jurisprudence. The landmark judgements and orders of some of his cases have been given in Volume II and III of this edition.
This set of three volumes gives a comprehensive view of the dimension of the cases. The landmark judgements and orders in these cases are a rich resource of information to the readers and motivation for those, who wish to carry on a social and enviro-legal crusade worldwide." (jacket)
