Conference on pollution held at HC

Legal Correspondent

Shimla, November 30

"It is our collective responsibility to make an endeavour to preserve the environment." This was stated by Chief Justice Mansoor Ahmad Mir, while inaugurating a one-day conference on “Pollution -- a Growing Menace” organised by the HP State Legal Services Authority here yesterday.

In his inaugural address, the Chief Justice expressed concern on the rapid industrialisation and growing population leading to an increase in air and water pollution. He said the judiciary had infused life in many environmental laws through its judgements, which existed merely on paper before. He further said the right to life provided under Article 21 of the Constitution of India also included the right to enjoy pollution-free water and air.

The Chief Justice said he also belonged to the hilly state of Jammu & Kashmir and promised that he would discharge his duties to protect the environment and pristine beauty of Himachal Pradesh.

The Executive Chairman of the HP State Legal Services Authority and seniormost Judge of the High Court, Justice Sanjay Karol in his welcome speech said pollution was a grave problem and the High Court had passed many landmark judgments and orders against violators of environmental laws.

Justice Dharam Chand Chaudhary, Justice Tarlok Singh Chauhan, and Justice PS Rana chaired different sessions with the participants.

The conference was attended by 90 judicial officers, 20 public prosecutors and law students from Bahra, APG and HPU, trained mediators, senior advocates, retainer lawyers, para legal volunteers and school students.

Dignitaries RK Mahajan, AK Goel, Dev Darshan Sud, Surinder Singh Thakur, Kuldip Singh, VK Sharma, Shravan Dogra, Ashok Sharma, CB Barowalia, Sushil Kukreja, Arvind Malhotra, Dr Baldev Singh, RK Chaudhary, Yashwant Chogal, Naresh Kumar, Anuja Sood, Daksha Gupta and others were also present on the occasion.