Environmental Law and Policy in India: Cases, Materials and Statutes
by Shyam Divan and Armin Rozencranz, Second Edition, Oxford University Press, New Delhi (2001) pp 837, Rs 395.

Reviewed by

J. Bandyopadhyay,
Professor, Centre for Development and Environment Policy, IIM Calcutta-700104.

The environmental scenario in India is dominated by several vocal activists who are demanding sustainable development. At the same time, in this country there is an acute gap in professional competence based on local research, that could ably indicate policies towards sustainability. How sustainable development can be achieved and what the difficulties in that process are, thus, constitute an important question. At the ground level, the answer to this question lies to a great extent in the adoption of policies and effective functioning of the regulatory instruments governing development and the environment. Environmental Law and Policy in India: Cases, Materials and Statutes by Divan and Rosencranz concentrates on these issues in the Indian context and would prove to be an important resource book for the students of law, administrators, industries, environmental activists as well as policy makers in India. The book can be described in three parts. The first part, covering chapters 1 to 4, presents the broad framework of law within which environment may be seen. The second part, covering chapters 5 to 13, addresses the specifics of environmental law with reference to India. The third part, covering chapters 14 and 15, relates to the legal framework in the regional and global contexts.

The book is an important piece of scholarly presentation, which would have wide public utility in India. In comparison to the length of the book, the price is very reasonable.

REFERENCES
Bandyopadhyay, J. (1989) Natural Resource Management in the Mountain Environment: Experiences from the DoonValley, India, Occassional Paper No 14, International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development (Kathmandu).

Ollga Tellis vs Bombay Municipal Corporation AIR 1986 SC 180
Vellore Citizens' Welfare Forum vs Union of India AIR 1996 SC 2715
Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action vs Union of India (The CRZ Notification Case),
1996 (5) SCC 281