POLLUTION CONTROL ACTS

AND REGULATIONS OF INDIA

Essentially, The Water (Prevention & Control) Act, 1974 can
be considered to be truly the irst re!ulations" #t has been
a$ended $any ti$es since then"
%asically, there are seven Pollution re!ulations"
1" The Water (Prevention & Control o Pollution)
Act, 1974, and its a$end$ents&
'" The Water (Prevention & Control o Pollution)
Cess Act, 1974 and its a$end$ents&
(" The Air (Prevention & Control o Pollution)
Act, 19)1 and its a$end$ents&
4" The Environ$ent (Prevention) Act, 19)* and
its a$end$ents,
(a) +ational Environ$ental Tribunal Act o
199, and
(b) +ational Environ$ental A--ellate
Authority Act o 1997&
," .a/ardous Waste (0ana!e$ent and .andlin!) 1ules, 2uly
19)9 and
*" The Public 3iability #nsurance Act, 1991"
The Public 3iability #nsurance Act 1991 has been included as
the si4th environ$ental re!ulation because it is the irst
re!ulation 5hich !ives so$e teeth to the other ive
-ollution re!ulations listed above"
THE CENTRAL AND STATE BOARDS
#t 5as the Water Act o 1974 5hich established a Central
Pollution %oard and a 6tate Pollution Control %oard"
6ubse7uently, the sa$e %oards have been !iven the -o5er to
!overn all the -ollution re!ulations -assed since then and
any other to be -ut in re!ulations in the uture"
THE WATER (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION)
ACT, 1974 AND ITS AMENDMENTS
The -ur-ose o this act is 8to -rovide or the -revention
and control o 5ater -ollution and the $aintenance or
restorin! 5holeso$eness o 5ater or the establish$ent, 5ith
a vie5 to carryin! out the -ur-ose o aoresaid o %oards
or the -revention and control o 5ater -ollution, or
conerrin! on and assi!nin! to such %oards -o5ers and
unctions relatin! thereto and or $atters connected
there5ith"9 This is the Act that established the Central and
a 6tate %oard and also the authority and -o5er to constitute
as $any co$$ittees as it eels essential to carry out
s-eciic unctions or it"
THE AIR (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1981
This Act 5as -assed or the 8-revention, control and
abate$ent o air -ollution"9 This la5 deined an air
-ollutant as 8any solid, li7uid or !aseous substance -resent
in the at$os-here in such concentration as $ay be or tend to
be in:urious to hu$an bein!s or other livin! creatures or
-lants or -ro-erty or environ$ent"9
THE ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION ACT, 1986)
The Act 5as enacted to 8-rovide or the -rotection and
i$-rove$ent o environ$ent and or $atters connected
there5ith"9 this act deined environ$ent 5hich includes
85ater, air, and land and the inter;relationshi- 5hich
e4ists a$on! and bet5een 85ater, air and land, and hu$an
bein!s, other livin! creatures, -lants, $icro;or!anis$s and
-ro-erty"9 #t also deined a ha/ardous substance as 8any
substance or -re-aration 5hich, by reason o its che$ical or
-hysics;che$ical -ro-erties, or handlin!, is liable to cause
har$ to hu$an bein!s, other livin! creatures, -lants,
$icroor!anis$s,
-ro-erty or the environ$ent"9
This la5 enlists !eneral -o5ers o the central !overn$ent
5hich included 8all such $easures as it dee$s necessary or
e4-edient or the -ur-ose o -rotectin! and i$-rovin! the
7uality o the environ$ent and -reventin!, controllin! and
abatin! environ$ental -ollution"9 The la5 also included 8the
standards o 7uality o air, 5ater, or soil or various
areas and -ur-oses, the $a4i$u$ allo5able li$its o
concentration o various environ$ental -ollutants"
-rocedures and sae!uards or the handlin! o ha/ardous
substances"9