The Supreme Court has taken suo motu cognizance of alarming pollution in the Jojari River in Rajasthan, noting that untreated industrial effluents from factories are being discharged into the river, contaminating water sources across several villages and rendering drinking water unsafe.
A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta directed that a separate suo motu case be registered on the issue and ordered the matter to be placed before the Chief Justice of India for appropriate directions.
This development follows a series of recent environmental and accountability interventions by the Apex Court. The same bench had earlier initiated suo motu proceedings concerning the absence of functional CCTV cameras in police stations across Rajasthan, a concern highlighted after reports of custodial deaths. In that matter, the Court considered the possibility of independent, technology-driven monitoring of CCTV footage without human interference and reserved its orders.
Separately, a bench led by Justice J.B. Pardiwala has also expressed grave concern over unchecked development in Himachal Pradesh, cautioning that environmental degradation of such magnitude could erase the state from the country’s map. That matter too was subsequently taken up by the bench headed by Justice Vikram Nath, where orders were reserved.
The Court’s latest move reflects a continuing judicial effort to address pressing issues of environmental protection, public accountability, and systemic safeguards through its suo motu jurisdiction.
Source PTI
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