The Rajya Sabha has passed the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024.
- The Bill seeks to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
- The 1974 Act, passed under the article 252 of the Constitution, establishes the central and state pollution control boards to prevent and control water pollution.
Key features of Bill
- The Bill decriminalizes several violations and imposes penalties. It will initially apply to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union Territories.
- The amendment proposes to rationalise criminal provisions and ensure that citizens, businesses and companies operate without fear of imprisonment for minor, technical or procedural defaults.
- Under the act, the chairman of a State Pollution Control Board is nominated by the state government. According to the amendment bill, the central government will prescribe the manner of nomination and the terms and conditions of service of the chairman.
- The central government will be empowered to exempt certain categories of industrial plants from the application of section 25 relating to restriction on new outlets and new discharges.
- The Bill imposes a penalty between Rs. 10,000 to 15 lakh rupees for violation of provisions related to discharge of polluting matter in water bodies.
- It empowers the central government to issue guidelines on the matters relating to the grant, refusal or cancellation of consent by any state board for establishment of any industry, operation or process, or treatment and disposal system or bringing into use of new or altered outlets.
- It seeks to decriminalise minor offences and replace it with monetary penalty in case of continuation of contravention.
