Guardians Of Flow: Exploring The Rights Of Rivers
- IJLLR Journal
- Dec 25, 2024
- 1 min read
Nishant Pandey, Symbiosis Law School, Pune
Muskan Bansal, Symbiosis Law School, Noida
Introduction:
Rivers, the lifelines of our planet, hold a profound significance in the tapestry of existence. Rivers are not mere geographical features; they are intricate ecosystems that support a diverse array of life. From the smallest microorganisms to the grandeur of charismatic megafauna, rivers provide sustenance, shelter, and a thriving habitat. They create corridors of biodiversity, enriching the surrounding landscapes and fostering ecological balance.
But apart from ecological roles, rivers hold cultural, historical, and spiritual significance in not only my life but everyone’s life. Since time immemorial, they have served as avenues of transportation, trade, and communication. Settlements have flourished along their banks, civilizations have risen and fallen, leaving traces of their stories etched into the riverine landscapes.
However, I believe that in today’s era rivers are not being maintained and the basic essence and respect that humans have towards rivers is decreasing day by day. The customs that made people worship rivers have started fading which has led to the misuse of rivers on a large scale, causing loss of aquatic life, Reducing the quality of river water, and new diseases that are harmful for human civilization. A theory was proposed by one of the great philosophers Austin. According to me, his gunman theory is the need of hour to protect Rivers.
In this blog I shall try to explain if rivers can be granted legal rights, if there have been instances where it has been granted, what will be the challenges of the same, and also elaborate if rights can be extended?
