Water and Air Pollution Control Acts in India: Key Provisions
Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in 1974 to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and for maintaining or restoring the wholesomeness of water in the country.
The Act was amended in 1988. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act was enacted in 1977 to provide for the levy and collection of a cess on water consumed by persons operating and carrying on certain types of industrial activities.
This cess is collected to augment the resources of the Central Board and the State Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution constituted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Act was last amended in 2003.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), a statutory organization, was constituted in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Further, CPCB was entrusted with the powers and functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Functions of the CPCB
It serves as a field formation and also provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment and Forests regarding the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Principal Functions of the CPCB, as outlined in the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981:
- To promote cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States by prevention, control, and abatement of water pollution.
- To improve the quality of air and to prevent, control, or abate air pollution in the country.
Air Quality Monitoring
Air Quality Monitoring is an important part of air quality management.
The National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP) has been established with the objectives to determine the present air quality status and trends and to control and regulate pollution from industries and other sources to meet the air quality standards.
It also provides background air quality data needed for industrial siting and town planning.
Besides this, CPCB has an automatic monitoring station at ITO Intersection in New Delhi. At this station, Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Ozone (O3), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2), Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2), and Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) are being monitored regularly. This information on Air Quality at ITO is updated every week.
Water Quality Monitoring (WQM)
Fresh water is a finite resource essential for use in agriculture, industry, propagation of wildlife & fisheries, and for human existence.
India is a riverine country. It has 14 major rivers, 44 medium rivers, and 55 minor rivers besides numerous lakes, ponds, and wells which are used as a primary source of drinking water, even without treatment.
Most of the rivers are fed by monsoon rains, which are limited to only three months of the year, and run dry throughout the rest of the year, often carrying wastewater discharges from industries or cities/towns, endangering the quality of our scarce water resources.
The Parliament of India enacted the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, to maintain and restore the wholesomeness of our water bodies. One of the mandates of CPCB is to collect, collate, and disseminate technical and statistical data relating to water pollution.