SC Expands Wetland Demarcation to Water Bodies

SUPREME COURT EXPANDS WETLAND DEMARCATION TO ALL WATER BODIES

WHY IN THE NEWS ?

  • Judicial Directive: On October 12, 2026, the Supreme Court expanded the scope of wetland identification and demarcation to cover all water bodies across India.
  • State Accountability: States and Union Territories must submit affidavits within four weeks detailing physical verification and demarcation.
  • Constitutional Significance: The Court linked water-body preservation with the Right to Life under Article 21, emphasising access to drinking water.

SC Expands Wetland Demarcation to Water Bodies

SUPREME COURT’S DIRECTIONS AND KEY DEVELOPMENTS:

  • Expanded Scope: The Supreme Court directed that identification and demarcation efforts extend to all water bodies, recognising their importance as sources of drinking water.
  • Earlier Order: In December 2024, the Court instructed states and Union Territories to complete ground-truthing and physical demarcation of wetlands identified in the 2021 Space Applications Centre (SAC) Atlas within three months.
  • Legal Obligation: The earlier directive was based on statutory responsibilities under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
  • Implementation Gaps: Petitioners, including environmentalist and birder Anand Arya, informed the Court that several states and UTs had failed to complete the required demarcation.
  • Fresh Compliance: The Court sought affidavits within four weeks detailing the status of ground-truthing and the identification of boundaries of wetlands and other water bodies.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND GOVERNANCE SIGNIFICANCE

  • Water Security: Protecting wetlands and other water bodies is essential for safeguarding drinking-water sources and ensuring long-term water availability.
  • Constitutional Protection: The Court observed that protecting precious water bodies falls within the scope of Article 21, which guarantees the right to life.
  • Ecological Balance: Wetlands support biodiversity, regulate floods, recharge groundwater and maintain ecosystem stability.
  • Administrative Challenges: Some states claimed that wetlands listed in the SAC Atlas could not be located on the ground or did not qualify for protection under the 2017 Rules.
  • Judicial Oversight: The Court stressed that it could not remain a passive spectator while valuable water bodies remained unprotected, reinforcing accountability in environmental governance.

ABOUT WETLANDS AND ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE:

●      Definition: Wetlands are ecosystems where water covers or saturates the soil permanently or seasonally, supporting specialised plants, animals and ecological processes.

●      Ramsar Convention: The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, adopted in 1971 in Ramsar, Iran, provides an international framework for wetland conservation and wise use.

●      Indian Legislation: The Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017, notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, establish a framework for wetland conservation and management.

●      Ecological Functions: Wetlands help in groundwater recharge, flood mitigation, water purification, carbon storage and biodiversity conservation.

●      Constitutional Duties: Article 21 protects life and personal liberty, while Article 48A directs the State to protect the environment and Article 51A(g) establishes citizens’ duty to protect the natural environment.