Why apex court's wading into Darbhanga's ponds

Supreme Court has agreed to intervene in a case of alleged encroachment of three iconic water bodies in the Bihar town following a petition by a civil society groupDarbhanga sits at the heart of Mithilanchal, the mythic land of Sita that forms part of Bihar's northeast. It is a region rich in lore and timeless rituals. And central to those rituals are lakes and ponds, by whose banks people mark and commemorate every landmark from birth to death. Central as the water bodies are to its community life, many of them are facing a slow death. The plight of three such lakes has now prompted an intervention by the Supreme Court itself.The apex court usually refrains from entertaining matters related to local issues and asks petitioners to approach high courts.