Public Trust Doctrine Applies to Artificially Created Waterbodies Too: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court held that the doctrine of public trust is not confined only to natural waterbodies, but also extends to man-made or artificially created waterbodies that serve ecological or environmental purposes.
A three-judge bench observed that all artificial or man-made waterbodies created from natural resources and contributing to environmental balance fall within the ambit of the doctrine of public trust.
The judicial interpretation over the years has evolved the public trust doctrine as a guiding legal concept to ensure that natural resources remain protected for the collective good.
In the Futala Lake case, Nagpur, the SC ruled that even man-made waterbodies fall under public trust, noting that Futala Lake is a man-made waterbody and does not fall within the meaning of the statutory definition of a ‘wetland’.
Author's summary: Supreme Court extends public trust doctrine to man-made waterbodies.