S. Jagannath v. Union of India

Facts

• Intensive commercial shrimp (aquaculture) farming operations had proliferated along India's coastline
• Many of these operations were established without adequate regard to coastal ecological protection requirements
• These operations caused significant environmental damage to fragile coastal ecosystems, including salinisation of agricultural land and damage to mangroves
• The operations were economically significant, generating substantial export revenue

Issue

1. Whether intensive commercial shrimp farming operations established without regard to coastal ecological protection requirements should be closed, despite their economic significance.

Held

• The Court found that many shrimp farming operations had caused significant environmental damage to fragile coastal ecosystems
• Coastal zone protection requirements were held to carry genuine substantive enforcement force
• The Court ordered closure of non-compliant shrimp farming operations within specified coastal zones
• This enforcement applied despite the operations' economic significance and export revenue generation

Ratio Decidendi

Coastal ecological protection requirements are not merely nominal restrictions; they carry genuine substantive enforcement force applicable even against economically significant development activities, and courts will order closure of operations established in violation of these requirements.