JODHPUR, April 8 -- The Supreme Court of India issued interim directions on Tuesday to halt the severe degradation of Rajasthan's Jojari, Luni and Bandi river system, warning that official lapses have endangered roughly two million lives. A division bench of justice Vikram Nath and justice Sandeep Mehta reviewed a detailed status report from the High-Level Ecosystem Oversight Committee. The court observed that material on record discloses "a sustained and systemic failure of regulatory enforcement, institutional accountability and infrastructural adequacy". The bench noted: "The status report discloses that the damage to the river system is not only extensive in scale but also deeply entrenched, indicative of a prolonged and systemic failure on the part of all stakeholders in curbing pollution and enforcing environmental safeguards. The magnitude and persistence of the harm, as reflected in the status report, demonstrate a continuing and alarming deterioration of all three riverine ecosystems." It directed the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (RSPCB) to ensure no fresh Consent to Establish or Consent to Operate is granted for hazardous or obnoxious industries along the riverbanks. The RSPCB must also enforce strict adherence to norms on minimum distance from the high flood line and mandatory buffer zones, as per applicable rules and guidelines. "Any deviation from such norms shall be viewed seriously and shall invite appropriate regulatory action in accordance with law." The court further ordered the state of Rajasthan, in consultation with the committee, to constitute a Multi-Disciplinary Expert Assessment Panel for a comprehensive, scientific and time-bound study of environmental, ecological and socio-economic impacts. The assessment will cover groundwater and soil contamination; human health epidemiology; veterinary and livestock studies on productivity, fertility and disease; biodiversity loss; food and dairy contamination; and agricultural and livelihood losses. The panel must estimate remediation costs and devise a framework for compensation to affected communities. "The State Government and the RSPCB shall identify and fix responsibility upon erring officers and authorities found to be negligent, complicit or in dereliction of duty in permitting illegal discharge or non-compliance, and shall initiate appropriate disciplinary proceedings in accordance with law against such officials," the bench said. The matter is listed for further hearing on July 21, 2026....