Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution), Act
Parliament of India
Citation	Act No. 6 of 1974
Territorial extent	The whole of India
Enacted by	Parliament of India
Enacted	23 March 1974
Status: In force

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 ^[1] is an Act of the Parliament of India enacted to prevent and control water pollution across the country.The law provides for the establishment of Central and State Pollution Control Boards to regulate and monitor water quality. It was one of the earliest legislative efforts by the Government of India to address environmental pollution. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Background

The Act was introduced in response to increasing pollution of rivers, lakes, and groundwater caused by industrial effluents, sewage, and agricultural runoff. It aimed to create a uniform legal framework across India for controlling water pollution.

• Section 3 & 4: Establishment of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs).
• Section 17: Powers and functions of SPCBs, including inspection, sampling, and enforcement.
• Section 24: Prohibits the disposal of polluting matter into water bodies without prior consent.
• Section 25 & 26: Requires industries and operations to obtain consent before discharging sewage or trade effluents.
• Section 33: Provides Boards with the authority to issue directions, including closure or regulation of industries.
• Sections 41–45: Provide penalties for non-compliance, obstruction, and environmental damage.

References

1. "CPCB | Central Pollution Control Board". cpcb.nic.in. Archived from the original on 2025-08-14. Retrieved 2025-11-23.
2. www.indiacode.nic.in http://web.archive.org/web/20240524111134/https://www.indiacode.nic.in/bitstream/123456789/15429/1/the_water_(prevention_and_control_of_pollution)_act,_1974.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2024-05-24. Retrieved 2025-11-23.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
3. "THE WATER (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1974" (PDF). Food and Agriculture Organization .
4. "Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 | PDF | Sewage | Air Pollution". Scribd. Retrieved 2025-11-23.