IN RE REMEDIATION OF POLLUTED RIVERS v.

IN THE SUPREME COURT OF INDIA CIVIL ORIGINAL JURISDICTION

SUO MOTO WRIT PETITION (CIVIL) No(s).1/2021

1. These suo moto proceedings were initiated by this

Court pursuant to an order dated 13.01.2021 passed by a

three-Judge Bench in Writ Petition (C) No.8/2021 (Delhi Jal

Board vs. State of Haryana and others).

2. While the original matter dealt with increasing levels

of pollution in the Yamuna River, this Court deemed it

appropriate to take suo moto cognizance of the issue of

contamination of rivers by sewage effluents in general. To

that end, this Court also thought it appropriate to first

address the contamination of the Yamuna River. Consequently,

notices were issued to the States of Uttarakhand, Himachal

Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. In addition, the

Union of India, through the Ministry of Environment, Forest

and Climate Change, the Ministry of Housing and Urban

Affairs, and the Central Pollution Control Board, were also

impleaded as party respondents.

3. At this juncture, we must preliminarily observe that

there is no gainsaying that the right to live under hygienic

conditions in a clean environment is an intrinsic part of

the right to human dignity, which is deeply embedded in

Article 21 of the Constitution of India. Moreover, this

Court has, in a catena of decisions, held that clean water

is a basic necessity for the sur...