Assembly passes pollution control Act

The state Assembly on Wednesday adopted the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 1988.

With the adoption of this bill, action against water polluting industries will be stricter. While proposing the bill, forest and environment minister Kanji Patel said the Gujarat high court, while giving a ruling on a public interest litigation, urged the state government to implement the Act.

After the high court ruling, a committee headed by then secretary K. Bhanujan was formed. This committee also recommended that the Act be implemented.

Under the new Act, the Central Pollution Control Board will look into matters of water pollution instead of Central Board for Prevention and Control of Water Pollution.

The Act says no person shall establish or take any steps to establish any industry, operation or process, or any treatment and disposal system or any extension or addition that is likely to discharge trade effluent into a stream, well, sewer or on land without the state government’s permission.

It also states that no person shall permit any poisonous or polluting matter in accordance with standards established by the state board to enter any stream, well, sewer or on land.

During the debate, Mr Subhash Shelat of the Congress said the working of the pollution control board should be free from political interference.

Many members said the state government should take action against those causing pollution. They expressed concern that the pollution level in the state was rising.

Reponding to their concern, the minister said the state government was also concerned about the pollution and had proposed the bill.

Mr Patel said to improve the condition in the state, the government has prepared a system to discharge hazardous waste. He also said the state government has set-up a joint effluent treatment plant on cooperative level for controlling pollution.

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Compiled from Local news media