Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v. Union of India AIR 1996 SC 2715

Court considered various constitutional provisions including Articles 47, 48-A, 51-A(g) and came to the conclusion that it is the duty of the State to protect and preserve the ecology, as Article 21 of the Constitution guarantees protection of life and personal liberty and every person has a right to pollution free atmosphere. Therefore, the "precautionary principle" and the "polluter-pays" principle have been accepted as a part of the law of the land being the part of environmental law of the country.