A division bench of Uttarakhand High Court made the ruling just one week after a river in New Zealand became the first in the world to be recognised as having the legal rights of a person.

In their judgment, Justice Rajiv Sharma and Justice Alok Singh said “extraordinary measures” had to be taken to protect the rivers.

Their ruling says the rivers are “juristic/legal persons/living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties and liabilities of a living person”.

They also declared the Director of NAMAMI Gange, the Chief Secretary of the State of Uttarakhand and the Advocate General of the State of Uttarakhand as persons in loco parentis with responsiblity to protect, conserve and preserve the rivers and their tributaries.

However, there remains uncertainty among conservationists about how the ruling will meaningfully be put into practice.