Summary
In 2014, Mohammed Salim filed a lawsuit in the High Court of Uttarakhand concerning illegal construction and encroachments along the Ganges River. The judges ordered that officials evict two private parties from government land, require the central government to constitute the Ganga Management Board within three months, and ban mining in the river bed and floodplain. However, the orders were not followed, and the matter came before the High Court again. The court ruled that the Ganga and Yamuna rivers are in danger of losing their existence and are therefore declared legal entities with rights. The High Court appointed two officials from the state of Uttarakhand to serve as persons in loco parentis for the two rivers.