Natural resources law covers what we take from nature and how we protect it: biological resources used by businesses, wetlands and lakes, rivers, groundwater and minerals like sand. Each has its own legal framework, and they often meet in the same dispute.
We advise companies and researchers on the Biological Diversity Act, and act for communities and residents trying to protect lakes, rivers and common land.
हिंदी में सारांश
जैव विविधता अधिनियम, 2002 के तहत जैविक संसाधनों के व्यावसायिक उपयोग के लिए राष्ट्रीय जैव विविधता प्राधिकरण या राज्य जैव विविधता बोर्ड को सूचना या अनुमति चाहिए और लाभ बाँटना होता है। झीलों और वेटलैंड के लिए वेटलैंड नियम 2017 हैं। अवैध रेत खनन और भूजल दोहन पर भी कार्रवाई होती है।
Is this your situation?
- Your business uses plants, herbal extracts or other biological resources
- You need approval from the National Biodiversity Authority or state board
- A lake, pond or wetland near you is being encroached or filled
- Illegal sand mining is happening in a river near you
- Groundwater is being overdrawn in your area
- You want to protect a community resource or village common land
Key areas
Access and benefit sharing
Approvals and benefit sharing for commercial use of biological resources.
Biodiversity committees
Local committees that keep people's biodiversity registers.
Wetlands and lakes
Protection against filling, encroachment and pollution.
Rivers
Floodplain protection, pollution and mining in riverbeds.
Groundwater
NOCs, metering and limits in over-exploited areas.
Sand mining
Permits, environmental clearance and enforcement.
Using biological resources in business
The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 regulates access to biological resources and associated knowledge for research and commercial use. Depending on who you are and what you do, you may need prior approval of the National Biodiversity Authority or must give prior intimation to the State Biodiversity Board, and share benefits with the communities that conserved the resource. The 2023 amendments changed several of these rules and introduced penalties in place of some criminal offences.
Businesses in herbal products, ayurveda, cosmetics and food ingredients are most often affected. We help work out whether the Act applies, prepare applications and negotiate benefit sharing terms.
Protecting lakes, ponds and wetlands
Lakes and ponds are often encroached quietly, one boundary wall at a time. Village ponds may be protected as common land under state laws, and notified wetlands are protected under the Wetlands Rules, 2017. Courts and the NGT have repeatedly ordered restoration of water bodies. The first step is to get the revenue records showing the land as a water body.
| Issue | Where to start |
|---|---|
| Pond or lake being filled | Revenue records, complaint to district administration |
| Wetland pollution | Pollution board and state wetland authority |
| Illegal sand mining | District mining officer and police; NGT for environmental damage |
| Groundwater overuse | District groundwater authority or CGWA |
How we help
Find the law
Biodiversity, wetland, mining or groundwater rules.
Get the records
Revenue records, permits and notifications.
Approach the authority
Application, complaint or representation.
Litigate if needed
NGT or High Court.
How we work
We are a litigation and advisory practice led by Advocate BK Singh, with offices in Dwarka (New Delhi) and Vaishali (Ghaziabad), working on environmental matters across India.
- Deadline first: we tell you the time limit before anything else.
- Regulator and tribunal: we handle the board stage and the NGT, so nothing is lost between them.
- Plain advice: what we think will happen, including when a case is not worth filing.
- Written fee terms: agreed stage by stage, never linked to the outcome.
Related services
Groundwater NOC · Central Ground Water Authority · Forest and wildlife · Specialised environmental matters
Frequently Asked Questions
Does my company need NBA approval?
It depends on whether the company is Indian or foreign-controlled, the activity and the resource. The 2023 amendments changed some categories, so check the current rules.
What is benefit sharing?
A payment or other benefit to the communities or authorities that conserved the resource, set by agreement or under the regulations.
Can I go to the NGT about a lake being filled?
Yes, where the issue involves environmental damage under the NGT laws, such as pollution or a notified wetland. Encroachment of public land can also go to the High Court.
Is sand mining in rivers legal?
Only with the required permits and environmental clearance, and within the conditions. Illegal mining can be reported to the mining department and police.
Who protects village ponds?
The district administration and the gram panchayat, under state land laws, and courts have ordered their restoration in many cases.
What is a people's biodiversity register?
A record of local biological resources and traditional knowledge, kept by the biodiversity management committee.
Resource or biodiversity question?
Tell us what you are dealing with. We will tell you which law applies.
This page gives general information about environmental law as it stood when it was last reviewed. It is not legal advice on your case and does not promise any result. Laws, rules and time limits change, so check the current position for your matter before acting.
Need help with Biodiversity, Water Bodies and Natural Resources Law?
Send us the notice, the order or a few photos. We'll tell you where you stand, which authority or NGT bench deals with it and when the next step is due, in plain words.
