New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed serious concern over the rapid deterioration of Chandigarh’s Sukhna Lake, with Chief Justice of India Surya Kant sharply questioning the continued destruction of the iconic waterbody allegedly driven by collusion between builder mafias, bureaucrats and political interests.
“Aur kitna sukhaoge Sukhna lake ko?” the Chief Justice remarked during the hearing, voicing anguish over what he described as rampant illegal construction that has severely impacted the lake’s catchment area. He observed that unauthorised developments, allegedly carried out with administrative backing, have pushed the lake towards irreversible damage.
A Bench comprising Chief Justice Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipul M Pancholi was hearing interim applications in the long-pending 1995 public interest litigation titled In Re: TN Godavarman Thirumulpad, which deals with forest conservation and environmental protection across the country.
As a plea concerning Sukhna Lake was mentioned, the Chief Justice orally noted that builder mafias were actively operating in the region, accusing them of working in connivance with officials and political entities in Punjab. He said such actions were resulting in the “complete destruction” of the lake, which is one of Chandigarh’s most prominent ecological and recreational landmarks.
The Bench also questioned why an increasing number of matters related to forests and lakes were being brought directly before the Supreme Court, bypassing the respective high courts. The judges expressed concern that even local environmental disputes were being raised through interim applications in a decades-old PIL, instead of being addressed at the appropriate judicial level.
Referring to the Sukhna Lake-related application, the Chief Justice remarked that the proceedings appeared to resemble a “friendly match” being played at the instance of private developers and other interested parties.
The court asked Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, appearing for the Centre, and senior advocate K Parameshwar, assisting the court as amicus curiae in forest matters, to brief the Bench on issues that could be effectively handled by high courts without involving the apex court.
Legal battles over Sukhna Lake have largely centred on protecting its catchment area from encroachments. In 2020, the Punjab and Haryana High Court had ordered the demolition of structures found within the protected zone to safeguard the lake’s fragile ecosystem.
The Supreme Court’s strong observations underline growing judicial concern over environmental degradation and the role of powerful vested interests in undermining conservation efforts.
