Apex court raises alarm over plastic waste in water bodies

The Supreme Court has voiced serious concerns over the unchecked dumping of plastic and other waste materials into India’s water bodies, warning that this pollution is causing significant environmental degradation and harming aquatic life. A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti emphasised that without a unified effort from authorities and the cooperation of the public, any attempts to address illegal constructions and improve water quality in rivers, including the Ganga, will remain “illusory.” A bench of justices Hrishikesh Roy and SVN Bhatti emphasised that without a unified effort from authorities and the cooperation of the public, any attempts to address illegal constructions and improve water quality in rivers, including the Ganga, will remain “illusory.” “The dumping of plastic is causing serious environmental degradation and also impacting aquatic life in the riverbanks and the water bodies in the country. Unless concerted effort is made by the responsible authorities with people’s cooperation, irrespective of the efforts to target illegal/unauthorized constructions, the desired improvement of the quality of the water in river Ganga/all other rivers and water bodies in the country will remain illusory,” stated the bench in its August 2 order. Accepting their plea, the bench clarified: “The state shall ensure no further illegal construction or unauthorised encroachment takes place adjacent to the river Ganga, particularly in and around the City of Patna.” Simultaneously, the bench expanded the scope of Sinha’s petition amid growing concern over the environmental health of India’s rivers and water bodies and demanded detailed affidavits from both the Centre and the state.