Andhra Pradesh Assembly adopts Central amendment Act on water pollution
It replaces rigid criminal penalties for minor administrative and technical violations with structured financial penalties
On Thursday, the Legislative Assembly of Andhra Pradesh adopted a resolution to implement the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, introduced by the Government of India.
The amendment aims to promote trust-based governance, improved quality of life, and streamlined business processes. Initially enacted for Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and all Union Territories after President assent on February 15, 2024, it is set for adoption by other Indian States.
The Act replaces stringent criminal penalties for minor administrative and technical breaches with financial penalties. These range from ₹10,000 to ₹15 lakh, with additional daily fines of up to ₹10,000 for ongoing infractions.
Under the Act, the Central Government appoints senior officials as adjudicating officers to investigate and impose fines. All penalties collected are directly credited to the Environmental Protection Fund. Offenders dissatisfied with these decisions can appeal to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) within 60 days, after paying 10% of the imposed fine.
However, serious offenses, such as non-compliance with industrial consent requirements under Sections 25 or 26, or failing to pay penalties for over 90 days, remain subject to criminal action, including 1 to 7 years imprisonment.
The Act empowers the Central government to issue binding guidelines to State Boards on granting, denying, or withdrawing industrial establishment consents, and allows exemptions for certain industrial plant categories.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
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