[JURIST] The Ganges and Yumana rivers were granted the same legal rights as people by the high court [official website] in the northern Indian state of Uttarakhand on Monday. The two rivers are considered sacred by Indians but have faced harm from widespread pollution. The court cited [Guardian report] New Zealand’s recent granting of legal person rights to the Whanganui River [JURIST report]. The rivers and their tributaries are [AP report] “legal and living entities having the status of a legal person with all corresponding rights, duties, and liabilites.” The court also established three officials to protect the river as legal custodians and directed the government to form a board to protect the rivers through the Namami Gange Mission.

India’s government has been facing numerous religious and environmental issues in recent months. In January the Supreme Court of India rejected a public interest litigation [JURIST report] seeking an all-India ban on cow slaughter. In the same month the Supreme Court of India ruled that seeking votes [JURIST report] based on religion, caste, community, race or language is not permitted. In September India’s highest court ordered the state of Karnataka to share water [JURIST report] with the neighboring state of Tamil Nadu.