Urgent Plea to Supreme Court: Safeguard Our Precious Wetlands with 2017 Conservation Rules
A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court of India, urging the legal protection and recognition of all wetlands smaller than 2.25 hectares under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules of 2017. This plea is part of an ongoing case concerning the conservation of various water bodies across the country, including ponds, lakes, and streams. Petitioners Manu Bhatnagar and Vikrant Tongad emphasize the alarming reduction of water bodies, which poses a serious threat to the drinking water supply and overall water security for millions of people in India.
The plea stresses the urgent need to preserve and protect both natural and man-made water bodies to meet the basic water needs of citizens. It highlights the encroachment faced by water bodies such as ponds, lakes, and johads, largely because they are not officially recognized in revenue records and maps. The application calls for legal protection of all water bodies at their highest flood level and for seasonal wetlands to be recorded at their maximum spread during a normal monsoon.
The petition references the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti’s First Census Report on Water Bodies, released in April 2023, which documented 24,24,540 water bodies in India. Of these, 97.1% are located in rural areas. Information on the ‘water spread area’ is available for 23,37,638 water bodies, with 72.4% having a spread of less than 0.5 hectares and only 3.1% exceeding 5 hectares.
In 2017, the Supreme Court had already mandated the preparation of documents detailing 2,01,503 wetlands and their protection under the Wetlands Rules of 2010. The petitioners argue that extending protection to smaller wetlands is crucial for sustaining environmental balance and ensuring water security for future generations.
Original Source: https://www.morungexpress.com/plea-in-sc-seeks-protection-of-all-wetlands-under-2017-conservation-and-management-rules
Category : Environment , India
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Publish Date: 2024-12-22 18:59:00
