ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION

AUTHOR – SUPRATIM RAY, STUDENT AT NATIONAL LAW UNIVERSITY, TRIPURA

BEST CITATION – SUPRATIM RAY, ACCESS TO ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE THROUGH PUBLIC INTEREST LITIGATION, INDIAN JOURNAL OF LEGAL REVIEW (IJLR), 6 (5) OF 2026, PG. 420-423, APIS – 3920 – 0001 & ISSN – 2583-2344.

INTRODUCTION

Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has emerged as a powerful tool in India’s judicial landscape, democratising access to justice and enabling ordinary citizens, activists and organisations to address systemic issues that affect the public at large . In realm of environmental justice, PILs have been instrumental in enforcing constitutional rights, holding polluters accountable, and shaping policies to protect natural resources. Rooted in Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, which guarantees the right to life and includes the right to clean environment, PILs have bridged the gap for marginalised communities facing environmental degradation. This blog explores how PILs facilitates access to environmental justice, highlighting key cases, mechanism and recent developments as of January 2026.