News Desk: The Supreme Court has expanded its directions on the identification and demarcation of wetlands to cover all water bodies across India, stressing that protecting these natural resources is essential for safeguarding drinking water supplies and the fundamental right to life.
A bench of Justices Aravind Kumar and Vipul M Pancholi issued the directions in October while hearing petitions seeking the preservation of wetlands. The court observed that it could not remain a silent spectator while valuable water bodies continued to remain unprotected.
The bench noted that water bodies are important sources of drinking water and their protection falls within the scope of Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the right to life.
The latest order follows a December 2024 directive requiring states and Union territories to complete ground verification and physical demarcation of wetlands identified in the 2021 Space Applications Centre (SAC) Atlas within three months. The exercise was required under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2017.
However, progress has remained slow. Several states and Union territories have told the court that some wetlands identified in the atlas cannot be traced. Others have argued that certain water bodies do not fall within the definition of wetlands under the 2017 rules.
The petitioners, including environmentalist and birder Anand Arya, informed the court that authorities had failed to complete the required demarcation.
Expressing concern over the delay, the bench pointed out that nine years had passed since the publication of the rules, yet the identification and demarcation exercise remained incomplete.
The court has directed all states and Union territories to submit compliance affidavits within four weeks, explaining the status of ground verification and the methods being used to identify and mark wetlands and other water bodies. The matter is scheduled for further hearing on November 16.
Tamil Nadu was highlighted as a model for carrying out the exercise in four stages. The state has 28,898 wetlands, of which 2,614 have been demarcated so far. The court granted Tamil Nadu four months to complete the identification and demarcation of the remaining wetlands.
The Supreme Court also reiterated its concern about smaller wetlands. In August 2025, it noted that the SAC Atlas had identified approximately 555,557 wetlands measuring less than 2.25 hectares and sought details from states on the steps taken to protect them.
In its latest order, the court again directed states to identify, specify and mark these smaller wetlands.
The directions underline the need for a comprehensive approach to water conservation, with states expected to improve identification, documentation and protection of wetlands and other water bodies to help secure vital water resources for future generations.
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