Norma Alvares

Norma Alvares is an Indian social worker, environmental activist, lawyer and a founding member of the famous breaths of Goa Foundation, an environmental action group.

An alumnus of St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, she graduated in law and entered environmental activism. Under the aegis of Goa Foundation, 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 People for Animals, an animal support group and is the founder of Other India Book Store and Other India Press, environmental initiatives. Alvares is married to Claude Alvares, a known environmental activist and the couple lives in Parra, Goa with their three children, Rahul, Samir and Milind. She was honored by the Government of India, in 2002, with the fourth highest Indian civilian award of Padma Shri. The Government of Goa honoured Alvares with the Yashadamini Puraskar in 2001.