The battle for Nhava-Sheva, probably was the turning point that made Shyam into an activist for the environment. It was the struggle against Rashtriya Chemicals Fertilizers (RCF) which wanted to build a fertilizer plant on the beach and ONGC that wanted to build a materials dump at Nhava that fired up Shyam to fight for the preservation of the coastline.

It is the fight for Nhava Sheva that resulted in the CRZ rules being promulgated by Mrs Indira Gandhi.

Ashok H Advani

Publisher, Business India Group of Publications

This is a story about one man’s passion. It describes his relentless, almost obsessive crusade to save the pristine islands of Nhava and Sheva from the bulldozers’ and builders’ axes. Located a few miles off the coastline of Mumbai, these islands are also home to the famed Nhava Sheva port. His battle began when concern for the environment was almost unheard of. He made some friends and even more enemies; but undeterred he carried on.

Sheila Shahani

Editor, Inside Outside

SHYAM CHAINANI 1942 – 2010

Shyam Chainani obtained his B. Tech degree from IIT-Kharagpur, his MSc from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA and studied Industrial Management at Cambridge University, UK. He joined the Tata Administrative Service in 1966 and served with the Tata Group till he retired.

He was a Founder Member of the Save Bombay Committee in 1970 and established the Bombay Environmental Action Group (BEAG) in 1977, the flagship NGO through which he pursued a number of campaigns to protect the environment. Some of these are described in detail in his book Heritage and Environment, an Indian Diary published in 2007.

Among the numerous and wide-ranging causes which he addressed were the protection of the built heritage, the national environment (in particular the coastal zone), the re-location of large industrial projects away from eco-sensitive areas, the protection of hill stations, cantonments, and Nhava island.

His relentless lobbying, public interest litigation and participation on numerous Central and state government committees, led to the enactment of much legislation related to Urban Heritage Conservation, Coastal Zone Management and Protection of Eco-Sensitive Areas.

Shyam passed away prematurely after a valiant struggle with cancer, while he was in the process of completing four books. This book on the hard-fought struggle to save Nhava island, one of the earliest of Shyam’s campaigns, is the first of these to be published.