In yet another major decision in recent times, the High Court of Uttarakhand has accorded living entity status to environmentally and spiritually priceless Gangotri, Yamunotri glaciers apart from which all the rivers and water bodies originating in the Himalayas here have also been accorded rights of a living entity.
The decision was taken by the court not long after it declared the holy rivers Ganga and Yamuna living entities, while hearing on a public interest litigation.
The High Court division bench also directed all departments concerned with Namami Gange to take care of the health of these newly alive entities. Anyone guilty of damaging these glaciers and the rivers accorded living entity status will be dealt by the law in the same manner that a person harming another person is, the court order stated.
According to sources, the High Court order stated that rivers, streams, rivulets, lakes, air, meadows, dales, jungles, forests wetlands, grasslands, springs and waterfalls in Uttarakhand must be given corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person, in order to preserve and conserve them. The court also directed sealing of industrial units, Ashrams and hotels contaminating the Ganga river. According to the case details, Haridwar resident advocate lalit Miglani had filed a public interest litigation in the High Court division bench of justices Rajiv Sharma and Alok Singh seeking action against the organisations contaminating the Ganga river.
The petition had also sought living entity status to the entire Himalaya as accorded earlier to the Ganga and Yamuna rivers by the High Court. After hearing the case, the High Court accorded living entity status of the Himalaya glaciers and forests, directing the State Chief Secretary to facilitate formation of committees to involve those living in towns and villages near rivers and jungles.