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India Sukhna Lake Case

India
Punjab and Haryana
Approved in 2020
Case
Personhood, Rights Of Nature
Sukhna Lake
Freshwater Ecosystem
Sh. Gautam Khanna (resident)
Civil Society

Summary

Sh. Gautam Khanna, a resident of Chandigarh, India, sent a letter to the High Court of Punjab and Haryana, drawing its attention to Sukhna Lake’s depleting water levels. The court declared in 2020 that Sukhna Lake has a “distinct persona with corresponding rights, duties, and liabilities of a living person.” It also ordered the demolition of all the structures in the catchment area and directed the Chandigarh administration to declare the lake a wetland.

To see the original legal document(s) for this initiative, click the links below:

Sukhna Lake Case High Court of Punjab Ruling [PDF]

To see other supplementary information related to this initiative, click the links below:

Article - Sukhna Lake is a living entity with rights
The Journal of Indian Law and Society Blog - Sukhna Lake as a “Legal Person” : The Challenges Ahead
Mongabay - Demolition of illegal construction in Sukhna lake area put on hold till the pandemic is under control

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