Public Trust Doctrine Applies to Artificially Created Waterbodies
The Supreme Court held that the doctrine of public trust extends to man-made or artificially created waterbodies serving ecological or environmental purposes.
A three-judge bench observed that all artificial 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.
The court made this ruling in the Futala Lake case, Nagpur, where it was determined that the lake, a man-made waterbody, does not fall within the statutory definition of a ‘wetland’.
Author's summary: Court expands public trust doctrine to man-made waterbodies.