The Supreme Court on Tuesday expressed serious concern over the contamination of three rivers in Rajasthan, observing that immense public infrastructure had been destroyed or damaged due to officials “dragging their feet.” The Court was hearing a suo motu matter related to pollution in the Jojari river and associated contamination affecting the Bandi and Luni rivers.
A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta reviewed the matter after a high-level ecosystem oversight committee submitted its interim report on the ongoing environmental crisis. The committee had been constituted by the Court in November last year to examine the causes of pollution, oversee remedial steps, and suggest long-term measures to restore the river ecosystem.
During Tuesday’s hearing, the bench raised concerns about the manner in which the Rajasthan government was extending logistical support to the committee tasked with investigating the issue. The Court remarked that significant damage had occurred because officers had failed to act promptly.
The bench also noted that several factories were operating without permission, raising further concerns about regulatory enforcement and compliance.
Counsel representing the state government assured the Court that the logistical issues flagged by the committee would be addressed before the next hearing.
According to the Court, the committee’s interim report has been structured into multiple sections detailing the actions already taken, the recommendations proposed, and the logistical challenges faced while carrying out its mandate.
The matter has now been listed for further hearing on March 17.
In its earlier order issued in November last year, the Supreme Court had described the pollution in the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni rivers as evidence of a prolonged “systemic collapse” in regulatory oversight and “utter administrative apathy” spanning nearly two decades.
The Court had observed that the environmental degradation posed severe risks to public health and ecological balance. It noted that the situation had placed the lives of around two million people, animals, and the river ecosystem in western Rajasthan at risk.
The Court also recorded the geographical significance of the affected rivers. The Jojari river flows through Jodhpur, the Bandi river passes through Pali, and the Luni river runs through Balotra, with the Bandi and Jojari rivers merging into the Luni near Balotra city.
As part of its mandate, the oversight committee has been tasked with preparing a scientifically grounded and time-bound restoration and rejuvenation blueprint for the affected river system. The Court said the panel must identify the root causes of pollution and propose measures to reverse the environmental damage already caused.
