The MC Mehta cases are a series of landmark cases in Indian legal history, as they recognized the right to a clean environment as a fundamental right under the Indian Constitution.
The cases were brought to the Supreme Court of India by M.C. Mehta, a public interest litigator, in the 1980s and 1990s. Mehta brought several cases challenging various environmental degradation and pollution caused by industries and government agencies. The Supreme Court, in its decisions, recognized that the right to life and personal liberty, as guaranteed by Article 21 of the Indian Constitution, includes the right to a clean and healthy environment.