Person who pollutes water of ponds, wells or lakes goes to hell: NGT quotes Vedas, Puaranas

New Delhi, Jul 30 (PTI): The person who pollutes water of ponds, wells or lakes goes to hell, the National Green Tribunal Friday said while referring to Vedas and Puranas.
The tribunal said that protection of environment is not a novel idea of West or something which has its genesis a few decades or centuries back.
“Instead, in India, at least we have considerable recorded documents to show that nature and environment has been paid due regard, treated in holistic manner and revered by people of this country, comprising of all constituent and entities, the tribunal said.
In fact, our Vedic Literature shows that the very human body was treated as comprising of Pancha Bhutas or Five elements namely Ether, Universal Space or Firmament (Aakash), Air Vayu), Energy or Fire (Agni or Tez), Water (Aapah or Jal) and Earth (Prithvi). Nature has maintained a status of balance among these constituents or elements and living creatures. Since time immemorial or Vedic or Pre-Vedic era, we find that in Indian sub-continent Saints, sages and Seers were great visionaries. They perceived creation of universe in a scientific manner. They revealed mysteries of cosmic evolution with profound wisdom, a bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice A K Goel said. The tribunal said that to bring the people in closeness with nature, intellectuals in ancient India, gave it religious form so that people will treat dictates towards nature as mandate and follow all steps for its preservation and protection.
In Vedic Literature water has been given very high respect and treated with great reverence, it said.
Observing that water is a part of human environment, the green panel said it has been pointed out that it occurs in five forms namely – – Rain Water (Divya), Natural Springs (Srevanti), wells and canals (Khanitrimah), lakes (Svayamjah) and rivers (Samudrarthas).
It is said that all creatures are borne from water, and water is producer of all that is stationary or all that moves. Saints, Sages and Seers were aware that human habitation is mostly near rivers and waters and their daily activities would likely pollute water and harm nature’s balance.
To discourage it, we find in Padam Puran a caution. It says The person who pollute water of ponds, wells or lakes goes to hell . In Chandogya Upanishad, it is said,’Water has generated plants which in turn generate food’, the bench said.
Referring to Rig Veda, the NGT said that it instructs that forest should not be destroyed, earth is creeper of creation, container of forest, trees or hubs and plants are alive.
The observations came while quashing the environmental clearance granted to a high-rise luxury project by Godrej Properties Limited and Wonder Projects Development Private Limited in Bengaluru and directing its immediate demolition.