National Green Tribunal (NGT) Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava highlighted India’s contribution to the evolution of global environmental jurisprudence, emphasising the role of judicial intervention, institutional accountability and effective enforcement in protecting biodiversity, at the 17th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD COP17) and the International Judicial Colloquium held in Yerevan, Armenia.
Addressing international delegates, Justice Shrivastava presented India’s experience in environmental adjudication and governance, citing the restoration of the River Ganga as an example of how sustained judicial intervention, coupled with institutional monitoring, can deliver tangible ecological improvements. He also pointed to the encouraging increase in the population of Ganges River dolphins as an indicator of ecological recovery.
Speaking during the session titled ‘Judicial Lifecycle’, the NGT Chairperson emphasised that environmental justice cannot be measured merely by the pronouncement of judicial orders. Its true effectiveness, he observed, lies in ensuring that judicial directions translate into measurable improvements on the ground. He outlined six interconnected stages of environmental adjudication ,interpretation, adjudication, remedy, implementation, enforcement, and monitoring and review stressing that each is integral to achieving meaningful environmental outcomes.
Explaining the Tribunal’s approach, Justice Shrivastava highlighted its practice of combining judicial reasoning with technical and scientific expertise. He referred to the constitution of joint committees, periodic compliance reviews and time-bound action plans as institutional mechanisms to ensure that judicial directions are effectively implemented and environmental violations are addressed.
During the second session, titled ‘Examining the Toolkit’, Justice Shrivastava drew attention to the interconnected nature of environmental degradation, explaining how seemingly localised pollution can have far-reaching consequences for ecosystems and biodiversity. Illustrating the movement of plastic waste, he explained how discarded material from roads and hillsides can enter streams, rivers and wetlands before eventually reaching oceans, threatening aquatic ecosystems across geographical boundaries.
He also outlined India’s constitutional and legislative framework for environmental protection, referring to Articles 21, 48A and 51A(g) of the Constitution, alongside the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002, and the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2026.
Highlighting the NGT’s institutional role in environmental governance, Justice Shrivastava referred to the Tribunal’s monitoring framework for municipal solid waste management and sewage treatment through 36 parallel proceedings covering States and Union Territories. The mechanism involves six-monthly compliance reports and ring-fenced accounts to ensure that funds earmarked for environmental infrastructure are utilised for their intended purposes.
Advocating a preventive approach to environmental protection, he called for waste reduction at source, greater adoption of circular economy practices and stronger implementation of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR). He also emphasised the importance of life-cycle assessments, clearly defined stakeholder accountability, independent compliance verification and satellite-based monitoring technologies to strengthen environmental oversight.
Underscoring the intrinsic relationship between pollution control and biodiversity conservation, Justice Shrivastava stressed that rivers must be recognised and protected as living ecological systems rather than treated merely as channels for water management. Preserving their ecological integrity, he noted, is essential to safeguarding biodiversity and ensuring long-term environmental sustainability.
Concluding his address, the NGT Chairperson emphasised that effective environmental governance requires more than a robust regulatory framework. It must be underpinned by accountable institutions, dedicated financial resources, consistent enforcement and empowered judicial oversight.
Justice Shrivastava’s participation at CBD COP17 and the International Judicial Colloquium reaffirmed India’s commitment to international judicial cooperation, the advancement of the environmental rule of law and the protection of biodiversity for present and future generations.
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