In Brief
This public interest petition concerns the management and conservation of wetlands, particularly Ramsar Convention sites, and the functioning of the Central Wetland Regulatory Authority (CWRA). The Supreme Court noted that while the CWRA was constituted in February 2017, two key ministries had not yet nominated officers of Joint Secretary rank as required. The Court found that despite expenditure of approximately Rs. 945.95 crores, ground-level improvements were minimal and accounts required auditing. The Court delegated oversight of Ramsar Convention sites to relevant High Courts, treating the Union's affidavit as a suo motu public interest petition, and directed the filing of a comprehensive affidavit within six weeks.
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