On Tuesday, the Supreme Court severely reprimanded the Rajasthan government regarding the persistent pollution in the Jojari River. Dismissing the Special Investigation Team’s (SIT) probe as a “mere eyewash,” the Court noted that the expert committee’s latest report clearly indicates “highly acidic” water is still flowing in the river—a vital lifeline for lakhs of people in Jodhpur and neighboring districts. A bench comprising Justices Vikram Nath, Sandeep Mehta, and R. Mahadevan remarked that if a state intends to poison its own citizens, it represents the most shameful situation for any state government.
Court Issued Several Directives on May 29
The Supreme Court had issued several directives to the Rajasthan government on May 29. These included the constitution of an SIT to investigate the discharge of industrial waste into the Jojari River, measures to curb pollution, and the monitoring of industrial units. At that time, the Court had also observed that state agencies had failed to stop the open discharge of industrial waste into the river. The functioning of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in Jodhpur, Pali, and Balotra is also under scrutiny.
Jojari River Water Found Acidic
On Tuesday, the expert committee—headed by former judge Justice Sangeet Lodha and constituted by the Supreme Court—submitted its second report on the matter. Based on a site inspection, the committee reported a strong, foul odor emanating from several stretches of the Jojari River, and the water was found to be highly acidic. The report stated that merely cleaning the river would not suffice; pollution would not cease until all legal and illegal waste discharge points were identified and either closed or regulated. During the hearing, the Supreme Court raised serious questions about the SIT’s functioning. The Court remarked that the SIT had achieved nothing so far, noting that the report suggested the investigation was not proceeding in the right direction but was merely a sham. Regional officials suspended
Appearing for the Rajasthan government, Additional Solicitor General S.V. Raju informed the court that an SIT (Special Investigation Team) had been constituted last month and had submitted its first report to the expert committee. He further stated that the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board has initiated disciplinary action against certain officials; specifically, the regional officials responsible for monitoring and collecting water samples from the CETP (Common Effluent Treatment Plant) have been suspended.
Response sought from Pollution Control Board
However, the court was not satisfied with these responses. The bench noted that the expert committee had sought a response from the Pollution Control Board on July 3, yet no reply had been received so far. The court also observed that state officials had attempted to obstruct the committee from investigating a concealed pipeline used to discharge industrial waste into the river. The court remarked that the committee was being provided with incorrect reports.
Request made not to release water from the dam
The Supreme Court further noted that the committee had requested the state government not to release water from the dam—to prevent the toxic waste and silt accumulated in the river from flowing downstream—but water was released regardless. The Court stated that the Chief Secretary of Rajasthan would now be held personally accountable for compliance with its directives. The next hearing in the matter is scheduled for two weeks later.
“All factories located along the riverbank are closed”
During the hearing, the Additional Solicitor General assured the court that strict action would be taken against officials found to have disregarded the committee’s directives. He stated that all factories situated along the riverbank are currently closed, though the expert committee may consider representations from industries willing to adopt pollution control measures. In response, the Supreme Court noted that the expert committee had engaged in discussions with the industries, and steel industries had submitted a time-bound plan to ensure ‘Zero Liquid Discharge’ (ZLD) into the river. Meanwhile, the court informed the textile industries that if they wish to resume operations, they must satisfy the expert committee that their activities will align with the court’s directives and the broader public interest.
No permission to poison
The court stated unequivocally, “We will now ensure 100% compliance by the Chief Secretary. No one will be permitted to poison the citizens.” Additionally, the industries were directed to first cooperate in ridding the river of toxic waste.
Stay on industrial park project
The proposed industrial park project in Kakani has also been halted for the time being due to the intervention of the expert committee. In its report, the committee noted that the project was being developed on 12.805 hectares of land within the river’s high-flood zone and failed to maintain the mandatory buffer zone from the river—factors that could have posed a serious threat to the river’s rejuvenation process.
Dumping industrial waste into the Jojri River
An earlier report by the committee revealed that over 1,500 industrial units were discharging industrial waste into the Jojri River, surrounding farmlands, and other areas, resulting in the contamination of vast tracts of land with toxic waste. The report further highlighted that the Nehda Dam on the Bandi River—originally constructed for rainwater harvesting—has transformed into a conduit for industrial effluent, causing severe adverse effects on the local environment, agriculture, livestock, and public health. Crops irrigated with polluted water…
