2 Million Lives at Risk: SC Steps In to Save Poisoned Jojari and Luni Rivers

The Supreme Court of India delivered a scathing indictment of the Rajasthan government today, November 21, 2025, for its "pathetic failure" to curb industrial pollution in the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni rivers. Taking suo motu cognizance following a viral documentary by [News Pinch], the bench led by Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta constituted a High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee headed by retired Justice Sangeet Lodha. The Court declared that the state's 30-month inaction on NGT cleanup orders amounted to "regulatory apathy" and "institutional neglect," directly threatening the lives of 2 million people across Jodhpur, Pali, and Balotra.

The Context (How We Got Here)

The crisis has festered for over 20 years. More than 300 textile and steel units have been discharging untreated, toxic effluent into the river system, bypassing treatment plants through unauthorized pipelines. In February 2022, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered a cleanup and imposed fines, but implementation was frozen by appeals from [RIICO] and municipal bodies. The turning point came in September 2025, when journalist [Abhinav Pandey]'s documentary "Marudhara" went viral, visually documenting the cancer clusters, skin diseases, and ecological death caused by the river. This forced the judiciary to intervene where the executive had failed.

The Key Players (Who & So What)

• Justice Sandeep Mehta (Supreme Court Judge): The judicial conscience who transformed the case. His remark that the pollution happened "under the nose and with the connivance of all officers" signals a shift from administrative review to criminal accountability.
• Abhinav Pandey (Journalist): The catalyst. His investigative documentary did what decades of activism could not—forcing the highest court to act. It highlights the enduring power of independent journalism in environmental justice.
• Justice Sangeet Lodha (Committee Chair): The new enforcer. As head of the oversight committee with a ₹5 lakh monthly honorarium, he has the mandate to bypass local bureaucracy, conduct independent surveys, and recommend prosecutions, essentially taking over the state's failed regulatory function.

The BIGSTORY Reframe

While the headlines focus on the "pollution" and the "committee," the deeper story is the "Bureaucratic Bypass." The Supreme Court has effectively declared the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board and RIICO incompetent or complicit. By creating a judicial oversight body to do the executive's job, the Court is signaling a breakdown in India's environmental federalism. This isn't just about cleaning a river; it's a constitutional crisis where the judiciary is forced to govern because the elected government chose industrial profits over public health for two decades.

The Implications (Why This Changes Things)

This verdict sets a precedent for "continuing mandamus" in environmental cases, meaning the Court will keep the case open and monitor compliance indefinitely. For the textile industry in Pali and Balotra, the era of impunity is over; expect immediate shutdowns of non-compliant units and a forced shift to Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology. Politically, it puts the current Rajasthan government in the dock for inheriting and perpetuating a "toxic legacy," forcing them to prioritize remediation budgets over industrial expansion narratives.

The Closing Question (Now, Think About This)

If it takes a viral video and the Supreme Court to enforce laws that have existed for 20 years, is India's environmental regulatory system broken beyond repair?

FAQs

Why did the Supreme Court take suo motu cognizance of the Jojari river pollution? The Court acted after a viral documentary titled "Marudhara" by journalist Abhinav Pandey exposed the catastrophic pollution and health crisis affecting 2 million people, highlighting 30 months of government inaction on previous NGT orders.

What is the Supreme Court order on the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni rivers? The Court has constituted a High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee headed by retired Justice Sangeet Lodha. The committee is empowered to oversee the restoration of the rivers, enforce NGT's 2022 cleanup directions, and submit status reports every eight weeks.

How many people are affected by the Jojari river pollution? Approximately 2 million people across Jodhpur, Pali, and Balotra districts are directly exposed to contaminated water, facing health issues like cancer, skin diseases, and respiratory illnesses.

Which industries are polluting the Jojari river? Over 300 textile and steel units in the region are discharging untreated effluent into the river system, often bypassing Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) through unauthorized pipelines.

What is the role of the Lodha Committee? The committee's mandate is to fact-find, supervise remedial measures, ensure compliance with environmental norms, and recommend long-term strategies for river restoration, effectively bypassing the state's failing regulatory bodies.

Sources

News Coverage

• LiveLaw – Supreme Court forms high-level panel to restore Jojari-Bandi-Luni rivers
• Economic Times – Contamination of Jojari river: Supreme Court slams Rajasthan authorities
• Bar and Bench – 2 million lives at risk: Supreme Court slams Rajasthan over Jojari river pollution
• Times of India – SC raps Raj for pathetic failure in curbing Jojari river pollution
• Hindustan Times – Supreme Court rebukes Rajasthan on river pollution, says gross dereliction

Research & Analysis

• Verdictum – In Re: 2 Million Lives at Risk - Contamination in Jojari River
• Sigma Story – Jojari River Crisis: Supreme Court steps in after News Pinch's Marudhara documentary
• Down To Earth – Textile units in Rajasthan's Bhituja industrial area continue to pollute