India, April 8 -- Adverse impacts of climate change infringe upon right to life, equality and clean environment, the bench notes

The Supreme Court of India on April 5, 2024, for the first time, recognised the right against the adverse impacts of climate change, saying it is intertwined with the right to life and equality that are embedded in the Indian constitution. The arguments were a part of a verdict by a three-judge bench headed by the Chief Justice of India DY Chandrachud hearing a case on the conservation of the great India bustard and the lesser florican.

The bench reversed a 2021 had introduced a blanket ban against overhead powerlines over an area of 99,000 square kilometres covering parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan to protect t...