McGinley (M) and Egan (E) were servicemen who had been present on a Pacific island in 1958 when atmospheric tests of nuclear weapons had been carried out (five in M’s case and one in that of E). During the tests service personnel had been ordered to line-up in the open and to face away from …Read more

Amongst the several chemicals used industrially, some insecticides, colour additives and food additives (the chemicals) were approved for use in India even though they were banned in “advanced countries” as they carried carcinogenic properties. These facts were mentioned in a letter sent by Dr. Ashok (the Petitioner) to the Chief Justice of India. The Court …Read more

The Supreme Court of Pakistan took suo moto cognizance of a news report in the English daily “Dawn” titled “N-Waste to be dumped in Balochistan?” The article stated that coastal areas in the Balochistan region were being acquired for the purposes of dumping nuclear and industrial waste. The Court had earlier directed the Chief Secretary …Read more

The Petitioners were residents in a locality in Islamabad. The Water Resources and Power Development Authority (WAPDA) was to construct an electrical grid station in that area. The Petitioners protested on the ground that the electromagnetic field created by the high voltage transmission lines would be hazardous to their health. Moreover, the designated green belt …Read more

The petitioner, an influential businessman, filed a public interest litigation claim against two iron and steel companies, which the petitioner claimed had created health risks by dumping surplus waste from factory washeries in the form of sludge and slurry into the nearby Bokaro river. According to the petitioner, the sludge and slurry had been deposited …Read more

Due to discharge of untreated effluents in the Ganga river, the water of the river was rendered unsafe for drinking, fishing and bathing purposes, essentially creating a public nuisance. In M.C. Mehta v. Union of India & ors., ((1987) 4 S.C.C. 463), the Court had held the city municipality, Kanpur Nagar Mahapalika (Mahapalika), responsible for …Read more

Shriram Foods and Fertiliser Plant, Delhi (Shriram) was situated amidst a population of 200,000 people. It manufactured items such as glycerin soap, and technical hard oil. The petitioner, M.C. Mehta, filed a writ petition in the Supreme Court to obtain an order for closure of the plant and its relocation to an area where it …Read more

This communication was filed by the chairperson of the Port Hope Environmental Group on behalf of the residents of Port Hope, Ontario, Canada. From 1945 to 1952, Eldorado Nuclear Ltd., a federal Crown Corporation, disposed of nuclear waste in dumpsites within Port Hope, a town of 10,000 people. In 1975, large-scale pollution of residences and …Read more

Both the prosperous and poor people of New Road, Ratlam were victims of extremely inadequate basic public sanitation facilities, fluid discharge of a local alcohol plant and overflow of storm water to the street. This resulted in various types of septic fluids flowing openly and constantly in the street, and consequently the street’s sanitation was …Read more