Court orders on green issues now ignored by govts, says Magsaysay Award-winning environmentalist

Speaking on ‘Jal Jungle Jameen: From Aravalli to Aarey—Protecting the Heartbeat of India’ at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh at Azad Maidan, Singh, who is a Magsaysay Award winner and recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, reflected on how environmental protection once had strong legal backing

MUMBAI: “Environmental movements in India are facing a serious challenge today, as even the Supreme Court of India is no longer able to effectively protect Nature when governments choose not to act on its orders.” This concern was raised by noted water conservationist and environmentalist Rajendra Singh, widely known as the ‘Water Man of India’, during the 4th Annual Darryl D’Monte Memorial Lecture.

Mumbai, India - April 4, 2026: 4th Annual Darryl D’Monte Memorial Lecture held, at Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh, featuring keynote speaker Rajendra Singh, the “Waterman of India,” on the theme “Jal Jungle Jameen” and environmental conservation from Aravalli to Aarey, in Mumbai, India, on Saturday, April 4, 2026. (Photo by Anshuman Poyrekar/Hindustan Times) (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

Speaking on ‘Jal Jungle Jameen: From Aravalli to Aarey—Protecting the Heartbeat of India’ at the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh at Azad Maidan, Singh, who is a Magsaysay Award winner and recipient of the Stockholm Water Prize, reflected on how environmental protection once had strong legal backing. He referred to a landmark 1992 judgment on the Aravalli Range, where the Supreme Court recognised the ecological importance of the hills and directed the government to act. “At that time, any judgment of the Supreme Court became a legal responsibility for the government,” he said. Following the order, thousands of mines across states like Rajasthan, Gujarat, Haryana and Delhi were shut down to protect the fragile ecosystem.

The activist pointed out how the situation had changed significantly over the years, especially after 2014. Pointing to recent cases, he lamented that governments were no longer treating court orders as binding in environmental matters, and even the judiciary appeared to be losing its effectiveness in ensuring compliance.

Citing a 2024 judgment related to the Aravalli region, Singh claimed that court decisions were now being influenced by bureaucratic processes and expert committees that often aligned with government priorities. “Reports are prepared in a way that suits the government, and judgments follow those reports,” he said, adding that this weakened the original intent of environmental protection.

The activist emphasised that people had started losing faith in institutions meant to safeguard the Constitution. Referring to constitutional provisions like Article 21 and Article 48A, which guarantee the right to life and environmental protection, he said these were being overlooked in practice. “The reality today is that neither the courts nor the government are able to solve environmental problems,” he added. “The focus on economic infrastructure has taken priority over ecological balance, creating a disconnect between development and sustainability.”

Highlighting the growing crisis, Singh warned that fragmented protests were not enough anymore. He called for a larger, united movement to build environmental and climate awareness across the country. “When the system becomes insensitive, crises like this emerge,” he said.

Before Singh’s speech, Stalin Dayanand, director of the NGO Vanashakti which works to save the environment in the city, and Bansari Kothari from the Save Mumbai Mangroves group shared their efforts and struggles in the city.

During the question-and-answer session, the audience and environmental activists raised various concerns and sought Singh’s guidance on the way forward. Some participants also requested him to organise another yatra to save the city’s rivers, recalling the yatras he had previously led in Mumbai.

Responding to this, Singh said, “I am always ready to undertake a yatra as I am a Nature lover, but organising a yatra alone is not enough. It has to be a continuous process, and we must build sustained awareness about the environment.” He reminded the audience that after the 2007 yatra, people did come together for some time but the momentum did not last. “We need consistent and continuous effort,” he emphasised.

Singh concluded by urging citizens to take responsibility, saying that protecting rivers, forests and mountains was now dependent on people’s collective action as institutional support continued to weaken. “When people focus only on economic development, ecology is often ignored,” he said. “We all need to spread awareness about our environment and culture.”