Every Indian city, worth its salt, was known by its water body. Structures -- tanks, lakes, step wells and the channels to convey rainwater –determined the city’s water manners. Today, these water bodies are a shame – encroached, full of sewage, garbage or just filled up and built over. In state after state, citizens and NGOs have filed legal cases for protection of lakes. And the courts have responded with dramatic verdicts, which provide the learnings for how these water-systems can be regenerated for the city’s future. This comprehensive database by CSE tracks the cases on important lakes of India in courts.