Case brief index
Environmental Law
59 cases organised by topic.
Environmental Ethics and Rights of Nature
Legal personhood of nature, animal welfare, ecocentric ethics and constitutional protection
- Mohd. Salim v. State of Uttarakhand & Ors., 2017 SCC OnLine Utt 367, WPPIL No. 126 of 2014 — Rivers as Legal Persons Case; read with State of Uttarakhand v. Mohd. Salim, SLP (C) No. 16879 of 2017, order dated 7 July 2017
- Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja & Ors., (2014) 7 SCC 547
- Animal Welfare Board of India v. Union of India, (2023) 9 SCC 322; 2023 INSC 548 — Constitution Bench Jallikattu Case
Tort and Absolute Liability
Absolute liability for hazardous activity, polluter pays, remediation and environmental compensation
Constitutional and Writ Remedies
Article 21 environmental rights, public-interest litigation and constitutional remedies
- Rural Litigation and Entitlement Kendra, Dehradun v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (1985) 2 SCC 431; AIR 1985 SC 652 — Doon Valley Quarrying Case
- Intellectuals Forum, Tirupathi v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (2006) 3 SCC 549; AIR 2006 SC 1350 — Protection of Public Water Bodies
- Subhash Kumar v. State of Bihar, (1991) 1 SCC 598; AIR 1991 SC 420 — Right to Pollution-Free Water and Air under Article 21
Statutory Pollution Control Regimes
Water and air pollution control, regulatory boards, industrial emissions and statutory enforcement
- Stella Silks Ltd. v. State of Karnataka, AIR 2001 Kant 219
- M/s Delhi Bottling Co. Pvt. Ltd. v. Central Board for the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution, AIR 1986 Del 152
- Sirikoti Narayana Rao & Ors. v. A.P. Pollution Control Board, 2007 SCC OnLine AP 133
- M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (2002) 4 SCC 356; AIR 2002 SC 1696 — Delhi CNG Vehicles Case
- V.S. Damodaran Nair & Anr. v. State of Kerala, 1995 SCC OnLine Ker 83
- M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (1997) 2 SCC 353; AIR 1997 SC 734 — Taj Trapezium Case
- M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (1988) 1 SCC 471; AIR 1988 SC 1037 — Kanpur Tanneries and Ganga Pollution Case
Forest, Wildlife and Community Rights
Forest conservation, wildlife protection, tribal and community rights, mining and biodiversity
- T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, (1997) 2 SCC 267; AIR 1997 SC 1228 — Godavarman Forest Case I
- T.N. Godavarman Thirumulpad v. Union of India, (1998) 2 SCC 59; AIR 1998 SC 769 — Godavarman Forest Case II
- Orissa Mining Corporation Ltd. v. Ministry of Environment and Forest, (2013) 6 SCC 476; [2013] 6 SCR 881 — Niyamgiri and Forest Rights Case
- Indian Handicrafts Emporium v. Union of India, (2003) 7 SCC 589; AIR 2003 SC 3240 — Ivory Trade and Wildlife Protection Case
- Samatha v. State of Andhra Pradesh, (1997) 8 SCC 191; AIR 1997 SC 3297
- State of Himachal Pradesh v. Ganesh Wood Products, (1995) 6 SCC 363; AIR 1996 SC 149
- Banwasi Seva Ashram v. State of Uttar Pradesh, (1986) 4 SCC 753; AIR 1987 SC 374
- M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India, AIR Online 2021 SC 209 — Great Indian Bustard Case I
- M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India, 2024 INSC 280; 2024 SCC OnLine SC 570 — Great Indian Bustard and Climate Change Case II
- M.K. Ranjitsinh v. Union of India, 2025 INSC 1472 — Great Indian Bustard Case III, final directions dated 19 December 2025
- Lafarge Umiam Mining Pvt. Ltd. v. Union of India, (2011) 7 SCC 338
- Centre for Environmental Law, World Wide Fund-India v. Union of India, (2013) 8 SCC 234 — Asiatic Lion and Ecocentric Wildlife Protection Case
The National Green Tribunal
NGT jurisdiction, environmental appeals, institutional remedies and suo motu powers
- Praffula Samantra & Anr. v. Union of India & Ors., Appeal No. 8 of 2011, NGT Principal Bench, decided 30 March 2012 — POSCO Case
- M/s Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd. v. Chairman, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board & Ors., Appeal Nos. 57 and 58 of 2013, decided 8 August 2013 — Sterlite NGT Case
- Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai v. Ankita Sinha, (2022) 13 SCC 401; 2021 SCC OnLine SC 897; 2021 INSC 624 — NGT’s Suo Motu Jurisdiction Case
Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Clearances
Environmental appraisal, public consultation, reasoned decisions, prior clearance and ex post facto regularisation
- Narmada Bachao Andolan v. Union of India, (2000) 10 SCC 664 — Sardar Sarovar Project and Environmental Clearance
- Utkarsh Mandal v. Union of India, 2009 SCC OnLine Del 3836 — Duty of the Expert Appraisal Committee to Give Reasons
- Samarth Trust v. Union of India, 2010 SCC OnLine Del 2127 — Public Consultation and EIA Procedure
- M.P. Patil v. Union of India, Appeal No. 12 of 2012, NGT Principal Bench, decided 13 March 2014 — Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project Case
- Hanuman Laxman Aroskar v. Union of India, (2019) 15 SCC 401 — Mopa/Goa Airport Case I
- Hanuman Laxman Aroskar v. Union of India, (2020) 12 SCC 1 — Mopa/Goa Airport Case II
- Alembic Pharmaceuticals Ltd. v. Rohit Prajapati, (2020) 17 SCC 157 — Prior and Ex Post Facto Environmental Clearance
- Electrosteel Steels Ltd. v. Union of India, 2021 INSC 859; (2023) 6 SCC 615 — Environmental Clearance and Exceptional Regularisation
- Pahwa Plastics Pvt. Ltd. v. Dastak NGO, 2022 SCC OnLine SC 362; 2022 INSC 344 — Ex Post Facto Environmental Clearance
- Vanashakti v. Union of India, 2025 INSC 718 — Ex Post Facto Environmental Clearance Case
- Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India v. Vanashakti & Anr., 2025 INSC 1326 — Review of the Vanashakti Judgment
Principles of Environmental Protection
Precaution, polluter pays, sustainable development, public trust, environmental education and scientific uncertainty
- Vellore Citizens’ Welfare Forum v. Union of India, (1996) 5 SCC 647 — Precautionary Principle, Polluter Pays and Sustainable Development
- M.C. Mehta v. Kamal Nath, (1997) 1 SCC 388 — Public Trust Doctrine
- A.P. Pollution Control Board v. Prof. M.V. Nayudu, (1999) 2 SCC 718 — Precautionary Principle, Scientific Uncertainty and Expert Adjudication
- S. Jagannath v. Union of India, (1997) 2 SCC 87; AIR 1997 SC 811 — Coastal Aquaculture, Polluter Pays and Precautionary Principle
- M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, (1992) 1 SCC 358; AIR 1992 SC 382 — Environmental Awareness through Cinema, Radio and Television
- M.C. Mehta v. Union of India, 1992 Supp (2) SCC 633 — Continuing Ganga Pollution Proceedings
International Environmental Law
Transboundary pollution, state responsibility and the international no-harm principle
Common-Law Environmental Torts, Public Nuisance and Municipal Liability
Private and public nuisance, negligence, strict liability and municipal responsibility
- Radhey Shiam v. Gur Prasad Serma & Anr., AIR 1978 All 86 — Noise and Vibration as Private Nuisance
- Dr. Ram Baj Singh v. Babulal, AIR 1982 All 285 — Dust Pollution and Private Nuisance
- Municipal Council, Ratlam v. Vardichand, (1980) 4 SCC 162; AIR 1980 SC 1622 — Public Nuisance and Municipal Responsibility
- Municipal Corporation of Delhi v. Sushila Devi, (1999) 4 SCC 317; AIR 1999 SC 1929
- Rajkot Municipal Corporation v. Manjulben Jayantilal Nakum, (1997) 9 SCC 552
- Jay Laxmi Salt Works (P) Ltd. v. State of Gujarat, (1994) 4 SCC 1
- Mukesh Textile Mills (P) Ltd. v. H.R. Subramanya Sastry, AIR 1987 Kant 87 — Escape of Molasses, Negligence and Strict Liability
Sources and Effects of Pollution and Environmental Justice
Air and industrial pollution, occupational health, human dignity, regulation and compensation
- Arjun Gopal v. Union of India, (2017) 1 SCC 412 — Firecracker Regulation Case I
- Arjun Gopal v. Union of India, (2019) 13 SCC 523; AIR 2018 SC 5731 — Green Firecrackers Case II
- Sterlite Industries (India) Ltd. v. Union of India, (2013) 4 SCC 575 — Industrial Pollution, Compensation and Closure
- Bandhua Mukti Morcha v. Union of India, (1984) 3 SCC 161; AIR 1984 SC 802 — Occupational Health, Human Dignity and Environmental Justice