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

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 aims to amend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The bill proposes to decriminalize minor offenses and rationalize penalties for non-compliance with provisions of the act. It seeks to enhance trust-based governance and ease of living and doing business by replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties for minor violations. The bill also aims to provide guidelines on matters related to the grant, refusal, or cancellation of consent by State Boards and to establish a balance between the severity of offenses and gravity of punishments. Additionally, it provides for the appointment of an officer to hold inquiries and impose penalties, credits the amount of penalty imposed to the Environmental Protection Fund, and prescribes punishment for failure to comply with provisions of section 25 or 26. The bill seeks to achieve these objectives while not involving any financial expenditure from the Consolidated Fund of India.