The Supreme Court has continued hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation on the alarming levels of pollution in Rajasthan’s Jojari River, largely attributed to untreated industrial waste being discharged by nearby factories.
A Bench of Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta heard submissions from Additional Advocate General (AAG) Shiv Mangal Sharma, who represented the State of Rajasthan.
After taking the matter on record, the Bench said, “We will fix this for orders on October 9,”
indicating that formal directions on steps to curb industrial pollution will be issued on that date.
The court had earlier initiated the suo motu proceedings on September 15, noting that the contamination was severely affecting hundreds of villages along the river and making drinking water unsafe for local communities.
Environmental Concerns Raised
Reports placed before the court highlighted the extent of environmental damage and health hazards caused by untreated effluents. Observing that the situation required urgent attention, the Bench had directed the matter to be placed before Chief Justice of India (CJI) BR Gavai. This raised the possibility of either constituting a larger Bench or setting up a dedicated monitoring committee to oversee remedial action.
The court emphasized that both the Rajasthan government and relevant central authorities must step in immediately to enforce environmental regulations and prevent further harm.
Related Ecological Cases Before SC
The Jojari River case is not the only environmental crisis on the Supreme Court’s radar. On September 15, the same Bench reserved its order in another suo motu matter concerning ecological imbalance in Himachal Pradesh.
Justice Mehta issued a stark warning about the scale of the threat:
“This is not going to be limited to Himachal only… the entire Himalayan region.”
Earlier, on July 25, the apex court had cautioned that if unregulated development continues, “the day is not far when the entire State of HP may vanish in thin air from the map of the country.”
The court’s observations reflect growing judicial concern about unchecked development and its long-term consequences for fragile ecosystems.
Custodial Deaths & CCTV Camera PIL
Separately, on September 15, the Court also reserved its orders in a suo motu case concerning custodial deaths in Rajasthan and the lack of functional CCTV cameras in police stations.
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