October 15, 2024: The Supreme Court of India has called upon the Central Government to respond to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) that highlights the failure of both Union and state governments to address encroachments on riverbeds. This inaction, the petition alleges, is contributing to severe ecological consequences, including the unnatural drying up of rivers, exacerbated by the ongoing crisis of global warming, which has led to increased flooding during monsoon seasons and water scarcity in summer months.

A bench comprising Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, Justice J B Pardiwala, and Justice Manoj Misra issued notices to several key ministries, including Environment, Water Resources, Earth Sciences, the Central Water Commission, and the Central Pollution Control Board. The court's directive follows arguments presented by advocate Akash Vashishtha, representing the petitioner, Ashok Kumar Raghav, a former IPS officer turned environmentalist.

The Supreme Court has granted the respondents a three-week window to provide their responses.

In his petition, Raghav pointed out that the first draft of the River Regulation Zone (RRZ) was released in 2011, yet the formal establishment of River Conservation Zones and the issuance of RRZ notifications have remained stagnant for nearly a decade. He emphasized the alarming rise in illegal constructions on riverbeds and floodplains, which threaten the ecological integrity and flow of rivers across the country.

Raghav's petition stresses that these encroachments are a significant threat to the nation’s rivers, leading to pollution and damaging riverine ecosystems. He cited numerous catastrophic floods in recent years—such as those in Mumbai (2005), Kedarnath (2013), and Kerala (2018)—as direct results of unregulated constructions and encroachments, resulting in extensive loss of life and property.

He urged that immediate regulatory action is necessary to protect the rivers and mitigate the risks posed by climate change and environmental degradation.