HC initiates suo motu PIL for Ramsar sites conservation in Maharashtra

The Bombay High Court began suo motu proceedings to monitor three Ramsar sites in Maharashtra, following a Supreme Court directive for wetland protection.

MUMBAI: The Bombay High Court on Friday initiated a suo motu proceeding to monitor the conservation and preservation of three Ramsar sites in Maharashtra- Nandur Madhyameshwar Wildlife Sanctuary, Lonar Lake, and Thane Creek Flamingo Sanctuary.

Mumbai, India - February 1, 2018: Flock of Flamingoes fly over Thane creek in Mumbai, India, on Thursday, February 1, 2018. (Photo by Pratik Chorge/Hindustan Times) (Pratik Chorge/HT Photo)

A bench of Chief Justice DK Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar took cognizance of the matter following a Supreme Court (SC) order dated December 11, 2024, which had called for the protection of Ramsar sites across the country.

The matter dates to April 2017 when the top court passed a direction asking high courts, within whose limits 59 Ramsar sites lay, to initiate suo motu proceedings to conserve the wetlands. Anand Arya, a Greater Noida-based birder and environmentalist, advocate MK Balakrishnan, and NGO Vanashakti filed a PIL in 2018 urging the court to add 26 more sites under the radar to be monitored. These sites fell in Patna, Mumbai (Bombay and Goa bench), Karnataka, Gauhati (Aizawl bench), and Uttarakhand.

The apex court bench in December 2024, comprising justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, directed for suo motu monitoring of 85 Ramsar sites, asking high courts to initiate the proceedings. It ordered the protection of around 2,31,503 wetlands, occupying more than 2.25 hectares. “It is clear now that the ground truthing and the demarcation of wetland boundary is the next step, which is to be undertaken by each of the State/Union Territory Wetland Authorities in coordination with concerned nodal Department,” the Supreme Court recorded.

“Under directions issued by Supreme Court on December 11... We treat it as a suo-motu PIL to ensure that Ramsar convention sites within the jurisdictions of the court are properly maintained,” the bench said.