CASE COMMENTARY : THE GANGA POLLUTION CASE (1987), M. C. MEHTA

Mahesh Chandra Mehta is one of the leading lawyers in the field of environmental protection. One of the cases he handled was the 1987 Ganges River pollution lawsuit. For centuries, the Ganges River has served as a symbol of Indian culture and religion, as well as a symbol of the environment. However, over the years, it has been affected by various contradictions arising from urbanization. Local people are aware of the risks associated with these issues, which manifest as health problems and crop losses. Sites where wastes are dumped on the banks of the Ganges River threaten the health of people in that area. Emerging from the Himalayan Mountains, the Ganges River starts its course from Gangotri (Uttarakhand) to the Sagar Peninsula (West Bengal) before reaching the Indian Ocean. But by the time the river moves through Rishikesh and Haridwar, pollution of the water has already become quite severe. And, it gets worse as the river moves through Bihar. The urban garbage, sewage, and industrial waste have polluted the river. The river Ganga also passes through those places which are pilgrimage centers. Kanpur, one such place that attracts a lot of tourists but at the same time, is surrounded by factories, which are the source of pollution. Moreover, this polluted water is the only water source for the residents living in that region. The famous case M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, known in the 1980s, gained much recognition. Public Interest Litigation helped this case gain a fresh perspective of Article 21 of the constitution regarding the basic fundamentals of right to life and personal liberty.