The Central government presented a change to the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Bill, 2024 in Rajya Sabha on 5th february,2024.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey introduced the Bill.
The reason and aim for the Bill is that democracy thrives when the government trusts its people and institutions, and old rules cause trust issues.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 lays out punishments for breaking its rules, including imprisonment.
“The imprisonment provisions for minor violations which are simple infringements not leading to any injury to humans or damage to the environment often cause harassment to business and citizen and is not in consonance with the spirit of Ease of Living and Ease of Doing Business,” the statement says.
So, the Bill suggests making punishments fairer and making sure people and businesses aren’t scared of going to jail for small mistakes.
“Also the nature of penal consequence of an offence committed must be commensurate with the seriousness of offence. This Bill seeks to establish a balance between the severity of the offence and the gravity of the punishment provided in this regard,” it adds.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Bill, 2024 wants to:
(a) let the Central Government pick the chairman of the State Pollution Control Board;
(b) let the Central government exempt some kinds of factories from certain rules about new outlets and discharges;
(c) let the Central government make rules about giving permission for new factories or changes to existing ones;
(d) make small offenses punishable by fines instead of jail time;
(e) decide how to punish people who break the rules about new outlets and discharges or existing sewage or waste discharge;
(f) put the money from fines into the Environmental Protection Fund created in 1986.