The Supreme Court is set to hear on September 23 a suo motu matter concerning large-scale contamination in the Jojari river in Rajasthan, which has reportedly put millions of lives at risk.
The case, titled “In re: 2 million lives at risk, contamination in Jojari river, Rajasthan”, will be taken up by a bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, as per the apex court’s cause list for the day.
On September 16, the top court had taken suo motu cognisance of the discharge of industrial effluents—mainly from textile and tile factories—into the river. The bench had noted that this pollution was severely affecting hundreds of villages in the region.
The court expressed concern that due to the untreated industrial waste flowing into the Jojari river, the water had become unfit for consumption not only for humans but also for animals. The contamination, it observed, was damaging public health as well as the broader ecosystem.
“This court is taking suo motu cognisance with respect to river Marudhara Jojari, Rajasthan, where a lot of industrial waste primarily from textile and tile factories is being discharged making hundreds of villages and the drinking water for animals and humans both not potable,” the bench recorded in its September 16 order.
The bench also recommended that the matter be placed before the Chief Justice of India to consider appropriate follow-up action.
The upcoming hearing is expected to address immediate measures for curbing the discharge of industrial waste and to ensure safe drinking water for affected communities. The case could potentially set significant directions for environmental protection and industrial accountability in Rajasthan.
