SC Warns Rajasthan of CBI Probe Over Jojari Pollution

The Supreme Court of India has issued a stern warning to the Rajasthan state administration over chronic pollution and illegal mining along the Jojari, Bandi, and Luni river basins. A bench comprising Justice Vikram Nath and Justice Sandeep Mehta expressed severe dissatisfaction with administrative apathy and cautioned that failure to enforce environmental compliance could compel the court to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

What led to the Supreme Court's intervention?

The court's intervention stems from a ongoing suo motu public interest litigation addressing toxic industrial effluent and municipal sewage discharge into western Rajasthan's river systems. The uncontrolled dumping of untreated waste, primarily from textile processing and industrial units in Jodhpur, Pali, and Balotra, has damaged local groundwater, degraded agricultural land, and posed grave health risks to nearly two million residents across the region.

Why did the court threaten a CBI investigation?

The apex court flagged systemic regulatory failures, administrative negligence, and improper actions by state authorities. The bench raised sharp questions regarding state officials regularizing illegal mining leases along riverbed areas rather than prosecuting violators. Additionally, the court criticized state officers for allegedly misrepresenting judicial directions while re-demarcating high flood lines to narrow protected river corridors. Warning that continued administrative failure or evasive measures would not be tolerated, the bench stated it would order a CBI probe into the wider regulatory collapse and potential collusion.

What key directions were issued by the court?

To prevent further ecological harm, the Supreme Court mandated immediate, concrete actions against illegal industrial infrastructure:

• Seal and Dismantle Illegal Connections: State authorities and the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) were ordered to seal and dismantle all unauthorized discharge points, bypass arrangements, manholes, chambers, pipelines, and conduits channeling untreated waste into the river.

• Enforce Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD): Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) must be upgraded to Zero Liquid Discharge standards within strict timelines, with single-window clearance mechanisms set up to expedite approvals.

• Transport Restrictions: The practice of transporting industrial waste via tankers has been banned in favor of closed conduit pipelines equipped with SCADA-based flow meters to monitor effluent movements.

• Closure of Non-Compliant Units: Immediate closure orders must be enforced against illegal textile and industrial units operating on residential or agricultural land, with proceedings initiated to recover environmental compensation from violators.

• Demarcation & Survey: The court directed a technical survey of all bridges and crossings to ensure natural water flow is uninterrupted, while reaffirming strict distance buffer zones from riverbanks where industrial development is barred.

Who is responsible for monitoring compliance?

Primary monitoring responsibility lies with the State Chief Secretary, the RSPCB, and local administrative bodies across Jodhpur, Balotra, and Pali. The High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee and Special Investigation Team (SIT) appointed by the court continue to monitor ground compliance, run performance audits via technical institutes like IIT Jodhpur, and report directly back to the bench.