ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE AND THE RIGHT TO CLEAN WATER: A PIL CONCERNING THIRUVATTAR’S ECOLOGICAL CRISIS

Abstract

The present Public Interest Litigation, filed under Article 32 of the Constitution by the petitioner team Green Avenger, seeks judicial intervention to address the alarming degradation of water resources in the Thiruvattar region of Tamil Nadu. Thiruvattar, historically sustained by the confluence of the Kothai, Parazhiyar, and Thamirabarani rivers, now faces severe water contamination and scarcity due to administrative negligence and industrial pollution. The petition highlights how this environmental crisis threatens the residents’ livelihood, health, and agricultural stability, amounting to a violation of their fundamental right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution.

The petitioner contends that the matter qualifies as a genuine Public Interest Litigation, as it represents the collective suffering of a vulnerable agrarian community lacking the means to seek redress individually. It calls upon the Hon’ble Supreme Court to exercise its jurisdiction and issue a writ of mandamus compelling the Union of India, the State of Tamil Nadu, and the relevant Pollution Control Boards to implement immediate and long-term measures for water purification and sustainable management.

Drawing upon precedents such as M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar, and A.P. Pollution Control Board v. M.V. Nayudu, the petitioner asserts that the right to clean water is inseparable from the right to life and human dignity. The PIL thus emphasizes the constitutional duty of the State under Articles 14, 21, 48A, and 51A(g) to safeguard environmental health and ensure access to safe drinking water.

In essence, this memorial embodies a call for environmental justice, urging judicial recognition that the denial of clean water constitutes a systemic human rights violation and demanding policy-driven reform to protect the ecological and constitutional integrity of the Thiruvattar region.