Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024

The Parliament on February 05, 2024, issued the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024, to further amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.

This Act is applicable to the entire states of Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and the Union territories in the first instance. It also extends to any other state that adopts this Act through a resolution passed in that regard under article 252 (1) and (2) of the Constitution.

The following amendments have been stated:

• In section 5, which states “Terms and conditions of service of members”, in sub-section (9), after the word "prescribed", the words "by the Central Government" shall be inserted.

• In section 25, which states “Restrictions on new outlets and new discharges”, in sub-section (1), for the proviso, the following proviso shall be substituted, namely:

"Provided that the Central Government may in consultation with the Central Board, by notification in the Official Gazette, exempt certain categories of industrial plants from the provisions of this subsection.".

• In section 42, which states “Penalty for certain acts”:

(a) In sub-section (1), for the long line, the following long line shall be substituted, namely:

"shall be liable to pay the penalty which shall not be less than ten thousand rupees, but which may extend to fifteen lakh rupees."

(b) For sub-section (2), the following sub-section shall be substituted, namely:

"(2) Where any person continues contravention or non-compliance under sub-section (1), he shall be liable to pay an additional penalty of ten thousand rupees every day during which such contravention continues.".

It will take effect immediately in the Union territories of Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan as well as in any other State that adopts this Act in accordance with clause (1) of article 252 read with clause (2) of the Constitution on the day of adoption.

[BILL NO. XVIII OF 2024]