The recent Supreme Court decision on two writ petitions of 2002 on the inter-linking of rivers is a deeply disquieting judgment because it is not only a clear encroachment into the executive domain, but also shows an inadequate awareness of the extensive debate on the project. The ruling provides strong backing to a “project” that many hold to be fundamentally fl awed and potentially disastrous. This article fi rst deals with the question of judicial overreach and then considers the soundness of the project in terms of the various benefi ts that are claimed on its behalf.