MP Sandhu moves Bill to grant legal personhood status to rivers

Rajya Sabha MP Satnam Singh Sandhu moved a private member’s Bill (Recognition of Legal Person Status of Rivers Bill-2024) during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament on Friday, aiming to conserve and protect India’s rivers.

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The Bill proposes to recognise rivers as ‘legal persons,’ granting them legal rights similar to those of humans as enshrined in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution. The recognition would empower rivers not only to exist but to flourish and be shielded from harm. India, which is home to over 400 rivers, has faced increasing challenges in managing and protecting its river systems.

Under the proposed legislation, rivers with a length of 40 km or more would be accorded legal protection. The Bill also calls for the establishment of a Rivers Protection Committee to oversee the health and well-being of rivers, ensuring their sustainable management. The committee would be responsible for monitoring river conditions, maintaining a register of rivers, and enforcing the provisions of the Act.

Sandhu, a BJP-nominated MP, emphasised the urgency of addressing the unchecked pollution and degradation of river ecosystems. “The primary objective of this Bill is to tackle these pressing environmental issues, which have been neglected for far too long,” he said. The Bill envisions granting personhood rights to rivers, thus enhancing conservation efforts and promoting the responsible management of water resources.

If enacted into law, the Rivers Protection Committee would have the authority to regulate river-related activities, ensure the health of water bodies, and impose stringent penalties for non-compliance. Violators could face fines of up to Rs 150 crore and imprisonment for up to one year.

Notably, New Zealand has already paved the way for such measures by granting legal personhood to its rivers, enabling their protection from pollution and environmental harm. In India, the Uttarakhand High Court in 2017 had recognised the Ganga and Yamuna rivers as living entities, conferring on them rights akin to fundamental human rights.

Sandhu’s proposed Bill aims to further these legal protections across the country, providing a robust framework for river conservation in India.