Supreme Court of India orders physical demarcation of water bodies

The Supreme Court of India has directed all states and State Wetland Authorities to physically verify and demarcate wetlands and other water bodies. The court emphasized that because water bodies are vital sources of drinking water, their protection is tied to the right to life guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

In its ruling, a bench comprising Justice Aravind Kumar and Justice Vipul M. Pancholi ordered states to file compliance affidavits within four weeks detailing their methods and progress. The court set a final deadline of four months to complete the entire exercise, rejecting requests for a longer period of six to nine months.

The demarcation process must include water bodies identified in existing atlases, even those smaller than 2.25 hectares, rather than just designated wetlands. The court specified that the methodology should include satellite verification, reconciliation of revenue records, and the installation of physical pillars to ensure legal and cadastral accuracy. The court cited Tamil Nadu’s systematic and scientific process as a model for this exercise.