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22. The petitioners point out that presently rivers as a key ecosystem and a wetland of great importance has no legal protection in the country. The 10th Five Year Plan document in Chapter 9 dealing with Forests and Environment had mandated that: "A legislation for a River Regulation Zone on the lines of Coastal Regulation Zone would be attempted." Realizing this fact a committee to formulate draft document for River Regulation Zone (on the lines of Coastal regulation Zone under the Environment Protection Act, 1986) was constituted by the MoEF in 2002. The first and second meeting of the said committee was held on 8.1.2002 and 26.9.2002 at which a draft proposal on River Regulation Zone (RRZ) was presented and discussed. According to the Draft Document on River Regulation Zone - "The conservation of river requires that they are treated as ecosystem and their ecological integrity (physical, hydrological, chemical and biological characteristics and natural functions) is maintained." Rivers are not merely channels that transport water; they are dynamic ecosystems that change over time in response to hydrological and biological processes and human interventions. Therefore all those human/ anthropogenic activities that directly or indirectly damage the river and flood plain habitat or degrade the water quality also need to be prohibited or regulated by the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, other activities include :-