The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

This Act – which Parliament passed on March 23, 1974 – provides for preventing and controlling water pollution and establishing Boards for the same, as well as maintaining and restoring the ‘wholesomeness’ of water. The Act also contains penalties for contravening its provisions.‘Pollution’ refers to the contamination of water, the alteration of its physical, chemical or biological properties, or the discharge of any sewage, trade effluent, or any other substance into water, which may render such water harmful to public health or to the health of animals, plants or aquatic organisms.This 30-page law applies to all union territories, and the states of Assam, Bihar, Gujarat, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tripura and West Bengal. Other states may adopt the Act by passing a resolution to that effect.