Jaipur: The Rajasthan High Court has emphasised that urban development cannot come at the cost of natural water bodies, drainage channels and catchment areas, observing that the state govt has a constitutional obligation to protect these resources for the benefit of the community.A division bench of Chief Justice Sanjay K Agrawal and Justice Sameer Jain, while disposing of a PIL on Oct 26 concerning the alleged impact of the Prithviraj Nagar Yojana in Ajmer on natural water bodies and drainage systems, directed the authorities to undertake the necessary exercise in accordance with the principles laid down in an earlier judgment.Kamlesh Mehrat’s petition raised concerns over preserving natural water bodies, drainage channels and catchment areas allegedly affected by the scheme’s implementation.The bence referred to SC’s ruling in National Institute of Medical Science University vs State of Rajasthan (2018), which underscored the responsibility of state authorities to preserve natural drainage systems and effectively implement measures to protect water resources.The authorities have been asked to examine relevant revenue records and technical material to ascertain the nature of the land and assess the impact of proposed development on the natural flow and storage of water.
