NEED OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW EDUCATION IN ORISSA

The term 'Environment' includes everything around us. Man's right to his environment is as old as the primitive man came into existence and since then the constant struggle is continuing to meet the Darwin's equation. "Survival' for the fittest". The growing need of the society due to growth of population has made man to extract the nature maximum: the consequence is the environment pollution. We are the polluter...So also the victims.

The environmental pollution has now come to an alarming level primarily because of new industrial revolution. Knowingly/ unknowingly we are polluting the vary environment for our own benefit; e.g. we have constant landmass for agriculture purpose to what we can not increase. At the same time we can not stop our population growth irrespective of several technical methods. So to meet the extra need, we have no option but to adopt modem technology for more production such as chemical mannure, pesticides and the consequence is the pollution.

If we take an analytical global view in the last decade, we see the share of pollution by the developing countries is increasing in comparison to developed countries. So the time is that we can not disobey to take responsibility for the pollution by saying that the developed countries have a major role in polluting and global warming. This is because we are blindly adhering to use the sophisticated goods that we don't have. Several international conventions and national organizations have stressed for to develop environmental education in school, College curriculum and teacher education programs. One Chinese proverb : "If you are thinking for 1 year ahead, then plant rice. If you are thinking for 10 years ahead, then plant trees. If you are thinking 100 years ahead, then educate the people".

So the environmental education aims at developing the total population and concerned about the total environment & its related problems. The strategy by the National Council of Teacher Education (NCTE) also recommends the introduction of environmental education in teacher's training.

The idea formulated by the UGC for a compulsory foundation course in environmental education is a commendable step. The UGC in 1994 had granted a project or environmental education and a faculty in Mahatma Gandhi Kasi Vidyapeetha, Varanasi. The JNU and University of Pune have started P.G. course * Title : Environmental Law Education and curriculum preparation on ecology. In this light the Bar Council of India (BCI) has also revised the LL.B curriculum in which environmental units case in their curriculums. The problem is that the status of environmental education in universities lags behind in comparison to other management and computer courses.

In the M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, AIR 1998 the Supreme Court held that "having regard to the need for protecting and improving the environment which is a fundamental duty of the state under Article 48-A. So it is the duty of the Central Government to direct all educational institutions to implement atleast one hour a week. lessons relating to the protection and improvement of the natural environment including forest, lakes, river and wield life in the first ten classes."

Now the problem lies with the method of curriculum preparation, how and what needs to be thought to students so that they can acquire knowledge and necessary skill to face to threat by the pollution. The right time to start the education from an early age and continue through all stages of life. Studies show that a child has an inherent curiosity about his surroundings. He constantly wants to know and interact to his immediate environment. Hence children education program must be enriched with the knowledge about the usefulness of environment, functions and relations between them and etc.

The NCERT and UGC have undertaken various programs for the enhancement of environmental education in School and University curriculum. In the Secondary and Higher Secondary level emphasis must given on practical training to students i.e. organising different environmental activities to promote awareness. understanding how the problem arises and the solution using scientific method. Tins also needs to include student - teacher interaction for spreading the massage by poster, model, audiovisual means etc.

At the post Graduate level the actions are based on research, involving villagers in solving local problems, meeting the community and training them the threat due to pollution, training to rural based environmental workers which includes mass awareness regarding the modem technological innovation and consequent danger.

The entire plant of environmental education can be successful if teachers are convinced about the need for environmental education. They therefore need proper training through out the different periods of their service and support and proper forums to exchange the idea.

The introduction of the subject in fundamental duty chapter under Article 5 i-A(g). the land mark decisions of the different High Courts and of the Supreme Court such as banning tanneries in Kanpur polluting the river Ganga. shifting hazardous industries from the populous cities, changing the diesel vehicle to CNG. stopping different developmental projects at the cost of environmental degradation are some of the Judicial efforts in curbing the problems. Yet all these efforts are like a few drops in the ocean taking overall view of the pollution.

Environmental problem has reached in such an alarming level where everyone is more or less victim of them Now the need of the time is the mass movement for achieving sustainable development that demands the commitment of people from even. section of the society.

This doctrine requires that the exploitation of the natural resources must be within the reasonable limit, so that the future generation wouldn't have to go deeper to search for availability of the resources. Hence any sort of developmental project must meet the challenges the loss due to environmental depletion.

Achieving such a goal is not the work of Government alone, as in a federal democracy like ours the enforcement of any legislative directive suffers from it's o\\n constraints due to political unrest. Hence the effort of NGO and other private organization must be welcome. The problem is so grave that some extra legislative - judiciary measure? is the thought of today.

References :

-       Indian Bar-Review Vol. xxiii(2) @96. xxvi(2)'99. xxvii.'2000

-       University News Vol. 37-35/99. 37-29/99. 38-39/2000, 38-26/2000, 39-16:20001

-       Constitutional Law of India by Dr. J.N. Pandey (2000) '

-       Indian Journal of Environmental Law by NLSIU, Bangalore,

-       All India Reporter.

-       The Times of India.