‘Revival of Lavasa should not occur at the cost adivasi’s livelihood’

NAPM leader and social activist Medha Patkar emphasised that law must be followed to protect and return Adivasi land which was grabbed by Lavasa City Corporation

The National Alliance for People’s Movement (NAPM), an umbrella organisation working for the constitutional protection of Adivasis and locals on Monday issued a statement that revival of Lavasa project should not take place at the cost of environmental destruction and trampling the rights of indigenous communities like Adivasis and local farmers.

Veteran activist Medha Patkar (third from left) with other members of the NAPM at Patrakar Sangh in city on Monday. (HT PHOTO)

NAPM leader and social activist Medha Patkar while addressing reporters in Pune emphasised that law must be followed to protect and return Adivasi land which was grabbed by Lavasa City Corporation.

The conference was also addressed by project affected Adivasis, civil rights activist Suniti Sur, Vishwambar Choudhary, Ibrahim Khan and other NAPM office bearers. The NAPM held the conference in the backdrop of Darwin Infrastructure Platform Limited taking over the debt-ridden Lavasa Corporation at ₹1.8K crore.

Patkar said, “The National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) has not resolved the conflict raised by the generation-old communities even when it hampers their livelihoods. The environmental issues have been completely ignored and the fine imposed on Lavasa has still not been recovered. They still do not have environmental clearance and no permission from the forest department for 8% hilltop land.The pollution control board had also lodged criminal cases and is pending in court..”

Civil rights activist Suniti Sur said, “Land rights of adivasis and locals must be protected at all costs. There is a clause related to compensating the investors, but what about the locals and tribal people. Thousands of hectares of Adivasi land must be returned to them.”