Norma Alvares (born 28 April 1951) is an Indian senior advocate, social worker and environmental activist based in Goa.

Early life

Norma Alvares was born on 28 April 1951 in Bombay, Bombay State, India. She graduated in law from St. Xavier's College, Mumbai and entered environmental activism.

Career

Under the aegis of the environmental action group Goa Foundation that was started by Alvares' husband, Claude, she initiated a public interest litigation (PIL) in 1987 to save the sand dunes of Goa, the first ever PIL filed in the state. She has been involved in over 100 PILs and has served as an amicus curiae.

Her efforts are reported in winning a favourable court order for blocking a DuPont factory and in another one which restricted the mining activities in Goa. She is the president of the Goa branch of People for Animals and is the founder of Other India Book Store and Other India Press.

Alvares was designated as Senior Advocate by the Bombay High Court in 2024.

Personal life

She married Claude Alvares, an environmentalist, on 15 October 1977. The couple currently resides in Parra, Goa with their three sons, Rahul, a herpetologist, Samir, and Milind.

Awards and accolades

Alvares was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. The Government of Goa honoured her with the Yashadamini Puraskar in 2001.

External links

  • . Other India Book Store. 2015. Archived from on 21 January 2015.
  • . YouTube video. TV Multiversity. 26 July 2013.