A discourse analysis of court documents in slum-related cases from the past 25 years leads to the conclusion that the basic statement that "slums are illegal' is a very recent juridical discourse and the rise of court orders to demolish slums is due to reinterpretation of nuisance law. The "new nuisance discourse' that arose in the early 2000s re-problematised slums as nuisances and became the primary mechanism by which slum demolitions take place at present.

The Supreme Court today did not allow a plea of Haryana to "lift' water from the Bhakra main line (BML)canal and pump it into the Hansi-Butana. The stay on puncturing the BML to connect the Hansi-Butana canal will continue and the matter will be now heard on July 18. Notably Haryana had submitted a proposal in the apex court to lift 500 cusecs of water through pumping and send it down the Hansi-Butana canal. This is a significant move as by-elections are due in Haryana on May 22.

The Central Empowerment Committee of the Supreme Court on Thursday asked the State Government to probe into the Prafulla Hede mines at Collem, which is allegedly operating on forest land. The CEC today ordered a probe and in a letter to the Chief Secretary asked the State Government to respond in the matter. It has asked the Government to find whether the mine was operating in violation of forest conservation rules. A second letter has been made to the Chief Conservator of Forests to know how Prafulla Hede mine had encroached upon 1,000 sq m of forestland.

The Supreme Court on Wednesday posted for hearing in July a writ petition filed by the residents of Rajouri Garden challenging certain provisions of the 2020 Master Plan for Delhi as being "arbitrary", "unreasonable" and "violative" of the citizen's Fundamental Rights. A bench of justices Arijit Pasayat and P. Sathasivam said it would tag the matter along with other writ petitions filed on the issue.

MANILA: When the Australian miner Rusina started to extract nickel from its mining concession on the island of Luzon in March, the first major problem it faced was what to do about a highly organized illegal mining operation. The illegal miners working on Rusina's property did not feel the need to conceal their activity. Dozens of trucks, bearing the logo of a local contractor, lined up at the mine site to cart the stolen nickel ore away. "The brazenness is incredible," Rusina Mining's managing director, Robert Gregory, said.

on april 15, 2008, the supreme court ordered the National Human Rights Commission to appoint a committee to look into human rights violations by Salwa Judum activists in Chhattisgarh and submit a

in a petition filed on April 14, the international bench of the supreme court and bar association asked for judicial guidelines for entertaining pleas against projects of national importance

Even before the caves in Meghalaya can reveal clues to climate change, rampant mining is destroying their wealth. AMARJYOTI BORAH goes deep into the issue Meghalaya carries a bewitching world

In May 2005, the Arunachal Pradesh government filed an application in the Supreme Court regarding the Subansiri (Lower) project, expressing serious concerns about large storage dams: "

Arunachal Pradesh is awarding hydroelectric projects to private companies at the breakneck speed of one every nine days without proper scrutiny. The government says hydroelectricity is the key to the state

Pages