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New law to prevent water pollution gets President’s approval
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, which decriminalises almost all penal provisions in the earlier 1974 law, was passed in Rajya Sabha on February 6
The new law to prevent and contain water pollution has received approval from President Droupadi Murmu and will come into effect immediately in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Union territories, and in any other state that adopts the Act, the environment ministry said on Saturday.
President ‘s assent came on February 15 according to the law ministry notification posted by environment ministry on its website.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, which decriminalises almost all penal provisions in the earlier 1974 law, was passed in Rajya Sabha on February 6.
The modified law relaxes several norms for industries and gives the Centre powers to exempt certain industries from statutory restrictions, such as taking consent from state pollution control boards, earlier mandatory. It also allows the central government to frame uniform guidelines for appointment of officials to state boards and prescribe service conditions of chairpersons of state pollution control boards.
The new legislation will give a fresh impetus to industries and also boost environmental protection, environment minister Bhupender Yadav had told the Rajya Sabha. “One of the major provisions is decriminalising all penal provisions which have been replaced only with penalty, except sections 25 and 26. For section 41 to 45A, there is provision for imposing financial penalty instead of prosecution in court,” he said.
Section 25 applies to mandatory consent to establish and operate an industry to be taken from state pollution watchdogs and section 26 applies to discharge of sewage or trade effluents. The government has also modified rules governing air pollution through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023, which amended 183 provisions to decriminalise them in 42 central laws administered by multiple ministries and departments.
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