Protecting Human Rights in the Light of Industrial Water Pollution: Sri Lankan Law and Obligations under International Law

The rapid decline of the natural environment, its resources, and habitats due to human activities has proven that environmental damage cannot be contained within territorial boundaries. Every State, region and continent is connected in the quest against environmental destruction and every nation has an obligation to ensure that activities within its territorial boundaries do not cause damage to the natural environment it shares with other States. Industrial water pollution has adversely affected the natural resources, environmental sustainability, and the lives of people in Sri Lanka in recent years. It violates the most crucial rights of people, depriving them of a clean and healthy environment, access to health, safe drinking water and even the right to life. In this context, it is important to ascertain the efficacy of the human rights guarantees available in Sri Lanka to fight against excessive levels of water pollution carried out for the sake of economic gain.

This article analyzes, therefore, the fundamental rights recognized by the Constitution of Sri Lanka against industrial water pollution. It seeks to ascertain whether fundamental rights guarantees against industrial water pollution in Sri Lanka are in line with internationally accepted human rights standards and emphasizes the necessity of addressing the silence in the Sri Lankan Constitution on the rights to life, environment, health, and water following internationally accepted human rights norms and practices.