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News:The Punjab and Haryana High Court has declared Sukhna Lake legal entity and has ordered demolition of legal/unauthorised constructions in its catchment area.
Facts:
Key takeaways from the Judgement:
- Sukhna Lake will now be a legal entity for its survival, preservation and conservation.
- The court also declared all citizens of Chandigarh as loco parentis (in the place of a parent) to save the lake from extinction.
- The court also invoked the Polluter pays principle by saying that the States should have taken precautionary measures to save the catchment of Sukhna lake.
About Sukhna Lake:
- Sukhna Lake in Chandigarh is a reservoir at the foothills (Shivalik hills) of the Himalayas.
- This lake was created in 1958 by Le Corbusier and the Chief Engineer P L Verma by damming the Sukhna Choe, a seasonal stream coming down from the Shivalik Hills.
- The lake is a sanctuary for many exotic migratory birds like the Siberian duck, storks and cranes during the winter months.
- The lake has been declared as a protected national wetland by the Government of India.
About Living Entity:
- A legal entity means an entity which acts like a natural person but only through a designated person whose acts are processed within the ambit of law.
About Polluter Pays Principle:
- The principle is enacted to make the party responsible for producing pollution responsible for paying for the damage done to the natural environment.
- In international environmental law it is mentioned under the Rio Declaration on Environment and Development of 1992.
