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Abstract
This paper brings out the issues of institutional failures and loss of valuable national resources at the cost environment and public health. Despite having several regulations, the illegal mining activities are rampant in many states of India under the influence of dishonest politicians, officials, and mining mafias, resulting over-exploitation of natural resources may affect public health, environment and future requirements of next generation. Moreover, illegal mining and over-exploitation not only make adverse impacts on ecological balance, environment, biodiversity, water sources etc. but also influence the livelihood of the tribal people, living in backward regions and mining areas. Institutions usually play very significant role to rationalize human needs and reduce uncertainties in the society by establishing a stable structure to human interaction. However, now a days, institutions fails to carry out their duties and responsibilities. North argued that institutional change is a complicated process because the changes at the margin can be a consequence of changes in rules, in informal constraints, and in kinds and effectiveness of enforcement. Institutions are a guide to human interaction and determine the opportunities in the society. If an institution deviates from its principle, role, and duties, it generally fails to protect public resources. India has been a rich natural resource country and so, most of the natural resource constraints countries are keeping their eyes on the India’s natural resources at cost of local’s health, and environment. In context of India, minerals, forests and tribals are concentrated in the same geographical locations. So, any mining activity always disturbs ecology, biodiversity and people who live around. If mining activities are illegal, severity of impact has been much more. The recent illegal mining activities in iron and manganese ores in India made huge losses to the public exchequers in billions of dollars. Illegal miners plundered natural wealth at the cost of disturbing ecology, environment, and displacing poor and their livelihoods. It could not have happened without a strong nexus between illegal miners, and politicians and bureaucrats. As global demand for minerals increased, the prices rose sharply at international markets, particularly in China. As it happened, behaviour of mining mafias in India have changed spontaneously and entered into illegal mining activity. Natural resource depletion can destabilize livelihoods, negatively affecting ecosystems, and undermine peace and development. Exploitation of natural resources is a key factor in economic growth and development, and also one that can have serious negative environmental and socioeconomic impacts. The local mining mafia stretched their empire for private gain at the cost of public resources and reaped the real benefits in collusions with dishonest politicians and public officials, violating most of the environmental and biodiversity norms of natural resource conservation. Even, on exposing such kind of illegal activities in mining areas, the political leadership is engaged to cover up such activities.
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References
- Forest Survey of India Report, 2008. According to the Forest Survey of India, the average forest cover in tribal districts of the country is 37 percent (Chandra Bhushan, 2008).
- Agrawal, Anil, & Gibson, C. 1999. Enchantment and disenchantment: The role of community in natural resource conservation, World Development, 27(4), 629-649.
- Bromley, Daniel W. 1992. ‘The Commons, Property, and Common-Property Regimes’, in Bromley, Daniel W. et al. (eds), Making the Commons Work: Theory, Practice, and Policy, San Francisco, ICS Press, 3-15.
- CEC. 2009. Central Empowered Committee Report (interim) in writ Petition (civil) no. 562 of 2009 filed by Samaj Parivartana Samudaya and Others regarding illegal mining and Other related activities in forest Areas of Karnataka.
- Central Water Commission (CWC). 2006-07. Annual Report 2006-07, Govt of India.
- Chambers, R. & McBeth, M. K. 1992. Community encouragement: Returning to the basis for community development, Journal of Community Development Society, 23(2): 20-38.
- Chandra Bhushan. 2008. Rich lands, poor people: the socio-environmental challenges of mining in India, 6th citizen’s report.
- Chandrasekhar, C P. 2010. Liberalising loot , Frontline, Volume 27 - Issue 14, Jul. 03-16.
- Cronin, Richard and Amit Pandya, 2009. Exploiting Natural Resources: Growth, Instability, and Conflict in the Middle East and Asia, Washington, DC: The Henry L. Stimson Center.
- Dasgupta, Partha. 2013. Green National Accounts in India A Framework, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India.
- Forty-second session, Agenda item 82 e, Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, 42/187, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, A/RES/42/187, 11 December 1987. The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future was published in 1987.
- Govt. Of India. 2010. Lok sabha, The Commission, which would present its report within 18 months, would identify persons or firms responsible and ascertain if there had been any tampering of official records relating to land and boundaries. The Minister of State for Mines B K Handique has made statement in Loksabha on illegal mining, raising, transportation and export of iron ore and manganese ore illegally or without lawful authority in many states on a large scale," Handique said.
- Ministry of Mines. 2008. National Mineral Policy, 2008, Govt. of India.
- Ministry of Mines Report Govt. of India, 2010 -11. The Annual Report, 2010-11,
- Ministry of Mines. May 2012. The report of the Committee for Review and Restructuring of the Functions and Role of IBM, Govt. of India, http://ibm.nic.in/index.php?c=pages&m=index&id=366.
- Hardin, Garrett. 1968. The Tragedy of the Commons, Science, 162(1968):1243-1248.
- Iimi, Atsushi, 2007. Escaping from the Resource Curse: Evidence from Botswana and the Rest of the World, IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 54, No. 4, pp. 663-699, Palgrave Macmillan Journals on behalf of the International Monetary Fund.
- Kadekodi, Gopal, 2010. Mineral Extraction and Impact on Common Property Land Resources, Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research Dharwad-580004.
- Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala, 2007. Illegal coal Mining in Eastern India: Rethinking Legitimacy And Limits of Justice, Economic & Political Weekly, December 8.
- Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India. 2011. Report of Working Group On Mineral Exploration And Development (Other Than Coal & Lignite) For The Xii Five Year Plan (2012-17)
- North, Douglass C., 1990. Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521397340.
- North, Douglass C., 1993. Economic Performance through Time. Lecture to the memory of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Foundation. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
- Olson, Mancur., 1965.The Logic of Collective Action: :Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
- Ostrom, Elinor., 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, New York, Cambridge University Press.
- World Commission on Environment and Development Report. 1987. Forty-second session, Agenda item 82 e, Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, 42/187, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, A/RES/42/187, 11 December 1987. The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future was published in 1987.
- Shiva, Vandana. 1991. Ecology and the Politics of Survival - Conflicts Over Natural Resources in India, Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
- Supreme Court of India. 1997. Samatha Vs. State of Andhra Pradesh, Case No.: Appeal (Civil) 4601-02 Of 1997, Date of Judgment: 11/07/1997.
- The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992) reaffirmed the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972, and seeking to build upon it.
- UN. 1972. Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.73.II.A.14 and corrigendum), chap. I.
- UN. 1992. Agenda-21- Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, (Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)
- Working group of 12th Five Year Plan 2012-17. Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India; Vandana Shiva, TERI Environment Study, Supreme Court of India In Samatha Judgement of 1997.
- Zulu Leo and Sigismond Wilson 2012. Whose Minerals, Whose Development? Rhetoric and Reality in Post-Con?ict Sierra Leone, Development and Change, Vol. 43, issue (5): 1103–1131.
References
Forest Survey of India Report, 2008. According to the Forest Survey of India, the average forest cover in tribal districts of the country is 37 percent (Chandra Bhushan, 2008).
Agrawal, Anil, & Gibson, C. 1999. Enchantment and disenchantment: The role of community in natural resource conservation, World Development, 27(4), 629-649.
Bromley, Daniel W. 1992. ‘The Commons, Property, and Common-Property Regimes’, in Bromley, Daniel W. et al. (eds), Making the Commons Work: Theory, Practice, and Policy, San Francisco, ICS Press, 3-15.
CEC. 2009. Central Empowered Committee Report (interim) in writ Petition (civil) no. 562 of 2009 filed by Samaj Parivartana Samudaya and Others regarding illegal mining and Other related activities in forest Areas of Karnataka.
Central Water Commission (CWC). 2006-07. Annual Report 2006-07, Govt of India.
Chambers, R. & McBeth, M. K. 1992. Community encouragement: Returning to the basis for community development, Journal of Community Development Society, 23(2): 20-38.
Chandra Bhushan. 2008. Rich lands, poor people: the socio-environmental challenges of mining in India, 6th citizen’s report.
Chandrasekhar, C P. 2010. Liberalising loot , Frontline, Volume 27 - Issue 14, Jul. 03-16.
Cronin, Richard and Amit Pandya, 2009. Exploiting Natural Resources: Growth, Instability, and Conflict in the Middle East and Asia, Washington, DC: The Henry L. Stimson Center.
Dasgupta, Partha. 2013. Green National Accounts in India A Framework, Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation Government of India.
Forty-second session, Agenda item 82 e, Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, 42/187, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, A/RES/42/187, 11 December 1987. The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future was published in 1987.
Govt. Of India. 2010. Lok sabha, The Commission, which would present its report within 18 months, would identify persons or firms responsible and ascertain if there had been any tampering of official records relating to land and boundaries. The Minister of State for Mines B K Handique has made statement in Loksabha on illegal mining, raising, transportation and export of iron ore and manganese ore illegally or without lawful authority in many states on a large scale," Handique said.
Ministry of Mines. 2008. National Mineral Policy, 2008, Govt. of India.
Ministry of Mines Report Govt. of India, 2010 -11. The Annual Report, 2010-11,
Ministry of Mines. May 2012. The report of the Committee for Review and Restructuring of the Functions and Role of IBM, Govt. of India, http://ibm.nic.in/index.php?c=pages&m=index&id=366.
Hardin, Garrett. 1968. The Tragedy of the Commons, Science, 162(1968):1243-1248.
Iimi, Atsushi, 2007. Escaping from the Resource Curse: Evidence from Botswana and the Rest of the World, IMF Staff Papers, Vol. 54, No. 4, pp. 663-699, Palgrave Macmillan Journals on behalf of the International Monetary Fund.
Kadekodi, Gopal, 2010. Mineral Extraction and Impact on Common Property Land Resources, Centre for Multi-Disciplinary Development Research Dharwad-580004.
Lahiri-Dutt, Kuntala, 2007. Illegal coal Mining in Eastern India: Rethinking Legitimacy And Limits of Justice, Economic & Political Weekly, December 8.
Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India. 2011. Report of Working Group On Mineral Exploration And Development (Other Than Coal & Lignite) For The Xii Five Year Plan (2012-17)
North, Douglass C., 1990. Institutions, Institutional Change and Economic Performance. Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521397340.
North, Douglass C., 1993. Economic Performance through Time. Lecture to the memory of Alfred Nobel. The Nobel Foundation. Retrieved November 14, 2008.
Olson, Mancur., 1965.The Logic of Collective Action: :Public Goods and the Theory of Groups. Cambridge: Harvard University Press.
Ostrom, Elinor., 1990. Governing the Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action, New York, Cambridge University Press.
World Commission on Environment and Development Report. 1987. Forty-second session, Agenda item 82 e, Resolutions adopted by the General Assembly, 42/187, Report of the World Commission on Environment and Development, A/RES/42/187, 11 December 1987. The report of the World Commission on Environment and Development: Our Common Future was published in 1987.
Shiva, Vandana. 1991. Ecology and the Politics of Survival - Conflicts Over Natural Resources in India, Sage Publications India Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
Supreme Court of India. 1997. Samatha Vs. State of Andhra Pradesh, Case No.: Appeal (Civil) 4601-02 Of 1997, Date of Judgment: 11/07/1997.
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development at Rio de Janeiro from 3 to 14 June 1992) reaffirmed the Declaration of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, adopted at Stockholm on 16 June 1972, and seeking to build upon it.
UN. 1972. Report of the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment, Stockholm, 5-16 June 1972 (United Nations publication, Sales No. E.73.II.A.14 and corrigendum), chap. I.
UN. 1992. Agenda-21- Report of the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, (Rio de Janeiro, 3-14 June 1992)
Working group of 12th Five Year Plan 2012-17. Ministry of Mines, Govt. of India; Vandana Shiva, TERI Environment Study, Supreme Court of India In Samatha Judgement of 1997.
Zulu Leo and Sigismond Wilson 2012. Whose Minerals, Whose Development? Rhetoric and Reality in Post-Con?ict Sierra Leone, Development and Change, Vol. 43, issue (5): 1103–1131.