India, March 18 -- Abraham Thomas

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Rajasthan government to demolish encroachments on a wetland forming part of a park near Anasagar lake in Ajmer within six months and observed that destruction of wetlands is invitation to disaster.

A bench headed by justice Abhay S Oka held that any encroachment on a wetland must go and shot down the argument by Rajasthan to save the illegal construction as demolishing it would result in a great loss to the public exchequer.

The top court said, "If states are allowed to destroy wetlands, we are inviting disaster. The intention of the government should be to restore wherever there is a wetland. Under any cost, wetlands have to be protected."

The court was hearin...