The Supreme Court of India has a stellar track record on environmental protection. It is credited with taking important steps to clean Delhi’s air, protecting the Taj Mahal from industrial pollution, preserving forests and halting polluting activities in the Ganga. However, the life of environmental law exists beyond the courtroom and case books.

With this objective, the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy has been tracking the implementation of five landmark judgments of the Supreme Court of India and the National Green Tribunal (‘NGT’) on environmental protection. These judgments span different geographical areas-the rivers of Uttarakhand, industrial areas in Telangana, rhinoceros territory in Assam, and toxic air and landfills in Delhi.

Through a combination of field research, judgement analysis, and interviews with petitioners, lawyers, and other stakeholders, Vidhi and Riverbank studios has produced a set of five documentaries and a research report that provide a comprehensive overview of environmental judgments and their implementation on the ground.

Together, these briefs and documentaries provide the legal background for each case, present the key facts, summarise the major orders and directions of the Supreme Court and NGT, and discuss the degree of success with which these have been implemented.