PARYAVARAN MITRA - Key Persons
After completing her Environmental Engineering, Anusri joined Paryavaran Mitra. She showed immense dedication and enthusiasm for all the activities of organization which includes research and analysis work, awareness programs etc.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
BhupatSolanki worked for more than a decade in Paryavaran Mitra. His forte was working as a Field Officer at grass-root level and to create among them about environment. He has been instrumental in initiating and training paralegals in Jhagadia (Bharuch) and Khambhat (Anand) of Gujarat. He was also involved in awareness at grassroot level to strengthen public participation at grassrot level.
Chiteisri Devi joined the organisation to pursue a grassroots experience of environmental laws across the state of Gujarat. She was actively involved in carrying out field research on CDM projects in the district of Kutch and followed up on EIA Notifications of three projects in Kutch, Vadodara and Amreli district.
Dhara Joined join Paryavaran Mitra very young but soon she took interest in almost all the aspects of the organisation and was involved documentation and reporting, managing Paryavaran Mitra newsletter, sending comments on EIA Reports and CDM projects and was part of a booklet on Climate Change Lecture Series titled "MausamParivartanNishnatoniNajare".
Chirag is an experienced Sustainability / Climate Change Mitigation Professional with more than 25 years of experience in the area of pollution control, sustainability and climate change mitigation domain.
His primary work areas and major interests include Climate Change Mitigation through Coastal Carbon Capture and other innovative technologies; Climate Change & Environmental Policy, Planning and Data Analytics; Innovative Market Based Instruments like Carbon / Water Credit and Trading etc.; Climate Change & Environmental Management using innovative technologies etc.
Chirag has the breadth and depth of experience to understand the challenges in the field of environment, sustainability and climate change and thus help craft suitable solutions for challenges faced
After completing Master in Social Work, Vipin has done his Ph.D. from Gujarat Vidhyapith, Ahmedabad. He was with Paryavaran Mitra for almost a decade as a Program O0fficer and was pioneer in initiating grassroot actions. His active role and leadership has proven critical for the success of this initiative. He has also authored a book called Panchayatni Paryavaran Pothi" and has submitted 50 articles in various newspaper and magazines.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
Holding Master degree in Journalism and bachelor in Law, she has more than 20 years of experience in policy-related development issues, particularly in the areas of environment protection, spreading awareness, environmental law, mass media and governance. She is board member of NatureCode and also co-ordinator of Gujarat Forum On CDM - a network of Organisations working on Environmental issue & monitoring of CDM projects in Gujarat. She has also participated in COP-19 at Warsaw in 2013.Under her leadership as co-editor, Falguni Joshi has also been associated with the bi-monthly magazine of the organisation, "Paryavaran Mitra" since 1997.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- Professor of Environmental Law at the Law School, North
Gitanjali Nain Gill is a Professor of Environmental Law at the Law School, Northumbria University. Her research interests and publications focus on access to environmental justice with an emphasis on specialised environmental tribunals and courts, climate change, human rights, public interest litigation and sustainable development in the Indian context.
She is a recipient of two prestigious British Academy/Leverhulme Research Grants. The first British Academy Grant (2013-16) examined the casework and environmental jurisprudence of the National Green Tribunal of India (NGT). In 2017, the research findings and conclusions were published in her book Environmental Justice in India: The National Green Tribunal (Routledge, Earthscan). The book was also published in Chinese by Routledge China and Social Science Press China (2019). The second BA grant (2020-23) investigates the reach, effectiveness and impact of Rehabilitation and Resettlement (R&R) provisions in the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013 (LARR Act).
She acts as an expert academic advisor to prestigious international organisations including the Sabin Centre Peer Review Network on Climate Change Litigation (National Rapporteur on India's Climate Change Litigation), Columbia Law School, New York. Presently, her climate change research is focusing on just transitions and sustainability transformations.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
- Member in Contributing to
Since being a vital member in contributing to Paryavaran Mitra, Hiral brought Environmental Audit and EIA related expertise to Paryavaran Mitra. She was also involved in Public Hearings, Court Hearings and other legal matters, trainings and media relations apart from EIA report analysis. She also raised carbon credit and CDM process malfunction issues in policy dialogues.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
With a master's degree in Environmental engineering and Diploma in Environmental Legislation, Kinnari had expertise in reviewing Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. She participated in Environmental Public Hearing coordinated environmental protection programs, and documenting field work. She also actively participated in stakeholder consultations at both provincial and national level and was a trainer for corporate management on clean development mechanism process and other pollution prevention issues.
Prof. (Dr.) Madhuri Parikh is working as Director and Dean (I/c.), Institute of Law, Nirma University. Her areas of interest are Environmental Law, Forest Law, Legal Research, Law of Torts. She is engaged with research activities in the area of Environment and Forest Law. She has presented papers at the National and International conferences and seminar within India and outside India. She has completed two projects funded by the Gujarat Ecological commission on the issues related to implementation of the notification of Coastal Regulation Zone.
She has published number of papers in reputed journals. She is also recipients of several awards for her research and teaching contribution. She is also member of International Association of Public Participation. At present she has been working on effective engagement of stakeholders in implementation of Sustainable Development Goals. She has been working in the area of the role of Public Participation in Environmental Decision-Making Process in India.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
Having completed M.A. (Psychology) from North Gujarat University and Labour Studies from Mahatma Gandhi Labour Institute (MGLI), Mahesh has been part of Paryavaran Mitra for more than a decade, and as a Field Officer his contributions are profound and immense. His area of work includes awareness of among people at grassroot level for Environmental Public Hearing (EPH), Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and other environmental issues. Mahesh Parmar has been instrumental initiating and training paralegals in Padra and Rajula districts of Gujarat. He has also been writing articles on environmental issues in Paryavaran Mitra Magazine.
Ms. Eva Flizmoser Experienced professional with over 10 years of experience in climate, environment and development policy strategies, NGO management, and project development in countries across the globe. Technical and legal expertise on climate and environmental law, directing a diverse number of campaigns targeted at influencing policy changes at EU and international levels. Passionate advocate for sustainable climate solutions that protect human rights, promote development in the Global South and work towards an innovative, low-carbon economy. Currently on farming sabbatical to create a self-sufficient habitat along the guiding principles of permaculture.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
- Computer Engineer
Ms. Foram Jhaveri is a Computer Engineer by profession. She joined Paryavaran Mitra by her interest and concern for environmental degradation and has also been a part of Green Catalyst program. She plays a vital role in coordinating with volunteers and schools to lead several events and training under Green Catalyst Program. She is also involved in administration, finance allocation, reporting and documentation, website management and advocacy. Moreover, she has also been associated with the bi-monthly magazine of Paryavaran Mitra.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Contributors Team
Ms. Manisha Patel has done her graduation in B.Sc. (Chemistry) and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science from M.S. University, Baroda. She has varied experience in working with environmental consultancies. She has been involved with Paryavaran Mitra since 2012. She has been multitasking in various tasks such as drafting environmental audit report, reviewing environmental impact assessment, documentation and reporting, analyzing policies and laws, and responsibility for setting up and coordinating lab work. Since 2017, Ms. Manisha Patel is also coordinating the Green Catalyst Program. Her role is to inspire the youth working or participating in the events of Green Catalyst. She develops leadership qualities, management and planning terminologies in the trainees. Her character and her presence have helped Green Catalyst to grow and develop and to lead a way to better society and environment.
Piyush Mohapatra has done M.Sc. in Botany with a specialization in Environmental Toxicology from Berhampur University, Odisha. After completing his post-graduation, he was associated with some grassroots organizations on biodiversity issues in the tribal districts of Odisha. Later, he moved to Delhi to pursue his LLB from Campus Law Centre, Faculty of Law, Delhi University. After a brief stint in a corporate law firm, the former moved to the development sector and worked with Gene Campaign for three years. During his tenure at the Gene campaign, he was involved in various policy issues concerning intellectual property rights and Genetically Modified (GM) technology.
Since 2006 Piyush is associated at Toxics Link and part of many research reports on issues of chemical safety primarily on POPs, heavy metals, and Endocrine Disruptive chemicals (EDCs)., concerning India and South Asia. He has represented various national-level and inter-ministerial meetings and international conventions on the issues of chemical safety and waste. He has deep expertise in the Stockholm Convention on POPs., Basel Convention, Rotterdam Convention, and Minamata Convention on Mercury, and developments on Strategic Approach to International Chemical Management (SAICM). He is now looking after the chemicals and health program of Toxics Link focusing on the research and policy aspects of chemical management in the context of health.Piyush Mohapatra is the recipient of the prestigious International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) of the US Govt, "Department of State" in 2011.
Job Titles:
- Advisor
- National Coordinator of Ekta Parishad
Ramesh Sharma works as the National Coordinator of Ekta Parishad. Ekta Parishad is a mass based peoples' movement for land rights with an active membership of 250,000 landless poor and is regarded as one of the biggest people's movement in India with an iconic status globally. In 2012, Ekta Parishad was responsible for organizing and leading a foot march of more than 100,000 landless people for over 300 Km (from Gwalior to Delhi) to demand land rights. As the Campaigner, Ramesh Sharma is one of the leaders of such large scale mass struggles and mainly involved in campaign planning and advocacy. In the last 25 years, He has played an instrumental role in strengthening and expanding Ekta Parishad as one of the most significant peoples' struggle for land rights. He is also engaged in many peace building initiatives especially in the conflict zones of Central and North Eastern India.
Ramesh Sharma is an active member of several global alliances mainly working on the issues related with the land rights, farmers rights, rights of the tribal and dalit communities, women land rights etc. He has been part of several land reforms committees of the Government of India and state governments
Ramesh Sharma is also part of many research & advocacy projects carried by Food and Agriculture Organization (United Nations FAO), Cambridge University (UK), Rutgers University (USA), LBS National Academy of Administration (India) etc. Ramesh is an author of several research papers and policies related with land rights, peace building, gender justice, agriculture and environment etc. He has nominated as member of UN FAO supported - Global Hub on Indigenous Issues, Steering Committee on International Year for the Millet, World Forum on Access to Land etc.
Mahesh Pandya's ardor and energy has been one of the main reasons that have made Paryavaran Mitra what it is today. With the help of many others who were part of Paryavaran Mitra and contributed immensely for making Paryavaran Mitra what it is today, it would not have been possible without the guidance of the Director. His goal is to support and mobilize communities at the local level, guiding them to access, control and manage the resources in a healthy fashion. Attending more than a 100 public hearings, Mahesh Pandya's heart wishes nothing but to help the downtrodden and people that have no idea of how to help themselves. He has been actively sending written comments, objections and suggestions to concerned authorities for any project's public hearing in Gujarat. It was under his leadership that Paryavaran Mitra mobilized people to participate in the Environmental Public Hearings (EPH) through sending information, conducting meetings and visiting project-affected villages and also encouraged people to participate in these hearings and raise their opinions and concerns. As the Director of Paryavaran Mitra, Mahesh Pandya took great initiatives to promote public hearings of Paryavaran Mitra and it was all done to engage in public consultations with its stakeholder groups by proactively disclosing its information with the objective to establish transparency and pronounce it accountable in the public arena.
Mahesh Pandya has not just focused his attention on helping people from the grass-root level alone, but his actions also went to the concern authority at National level in the form advocacy through writings in case of violations. Besides this, Mahesh Pandya has keenly intervened in various policies like regulatory Framework on Wetland Conservation, Hazardous Waste rules (2008), Lokpal Bill and Lokayukt Bill in Gujarat, Certified Emission Reduction revenues for Welfare and Development work, national policies related to environment namely Environment Impact Assessment Notification 1994, 2006 and 2009, Draft Coastal Management Zone Notification, National Environment Policy and National Action Plan on Climate Change etc.
He is the editor of the bi-monthly magazine of "Paryavaran Mitra" since 1997, has authored and co-authored many books and publications like "Dariya Kinarana Udyogo ne Lagta Kayda" with Kinnari Shah, "Environmental Public Hearing" etc. He had even published papers on different issues related to environment, climate change and sustainable development at national level. With an all-round participation and contribution, Paryavaran Mitra has far reached its apex and zenith. With his wit and astuteness, he has used analytical strategies to reach through problems at the grass-root level, be it through a personal touch or reaching the audiences through media.