This article is written by Guriya Kumar, a student of B.COM LL.B., 5th year, who is pursuing her course from KK Law College, Biharsharif, Nalanda, Bihar.
Definition
A pollutant can be defined as any unwanted or harmful substance that pollutes our environment. Generally, certain toxic substances like carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, and nitrogen dioxide are present in the air in small quantities and are not harmful to us. But when these substances are further present in ways that cannot be tolerated, they become pollutants.
The presence of extremely high concentrations of harmful substances in the environment is known as pollution. This pollution is caused mainly by certain human activities, resulting in environmental pollution that can be harmful to the health of living organisms. Air, water, and soil pollution are the three main kinds of pollution causing health hazards today.
Definition Pollution is an undesirable change in physical, chemical and biological characteristics of our land, air or water caused by excessive accumulation of pollutants (i.e. Substances which cause pollution).
Constitution of India
The Constitution of India does not specifically mention water pollution. However, the Supreme Court of India has interpreted Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to life, broadly to include the right of enjoyment of pollution-free water environment (see Subash Kumar v State of Bihar & Others, AIR 1991 SC 420) and the right to hygienic environment (see Virendra Gaur & Others v State of Haryana & Others, (1995) 2 SCC 577). Two of the Directive Principles of State Policy, included in Part IV of the Constitution, which provide that the State shall endeavour (a) to improve public health (Article 47); and (b) to protect and improve the environment (Article 48-A), are also relevant.Further, protection and improvement of the natural environment, including lakes and rivers, has been identified as a fundamental duty of every citizen in the Constitution (Article 51-A(g)).
Under the Constitution, water, sanitation and public health are included in List II of the Seventh Schedule; in other words, state governments rather than the Central Government exercise powers in respect of these subjects. The 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendment Acts in the year 1992 led to the introduction of Parts IX and X in the Constitution, which constitutionalised local level governing bodies, that is, municipal authorities in urban areas and Panchayati Raj Institutions (Gram Sabhas or panchayats) in rural areas. States have been 4 vested with the discretion to delegate any or all of the functions relating to water, sanitation and public health, among others, to these local bodies. Laws relating to local bodies Following constitutional amendments in the year 1992), the statutory framework concerning water
pollution in India includes laws (as well as bye-laws, rules and regulations framed thereunder) relating to municipal and panchayat areas passed by State Government or local government as well as public health laws. While some of these laws include explicit provisions imposing an obligation on the local bodies to prevent and control water pollution, most of them require the local bodies to provide clean and wholesome drinking water to the residents. Laws enacted by State Governments to govern parastatal bodies, cantonments or development authorities, as the case may be, are also relevant for this purpose.
Environmental laws
The existing environmental lawsadopta command-and-control approach towards water pollution. In other words, they lay down limits or standards of discharge of effluents into water bodies and punish non-compliance with such limits or standards. This sub-section discusses two such laws.. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 According to the Constitution, State Governments or Union Territory administrations (as the case may be) exercise control over water (including water pollution). The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (the ‘Water Act’) was enacted by the Central Government in exercise of the power vested in it by resolutions passed by two or more State Legislatures in accordance with Article 252 of the Constitution. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Rules, 1975 complement the Water Act.
The two main objectives of the Water Act are:
1.To prevent and control water pollution; and (ii) to maintain or restore wholesomeness of water. •contamination of water or alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of water or discharge of any sewage or trade effluent or of any other liquid, gaseous or solid substance into water (whether directly or indirectly) •as may, or is likely to, •create a nuisance or render such water harmful or injurious to •public health or safety, or •domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural or other legitimate uses, or •the life and health of animals or plants or aquatic organisms.
Water pollution 5 However, the Act does not define the term ‘wholesomeness’. The Act applies to streams, which term includes rivers, flowing or dry watercourses, natural or artificial inland waters, subterranean waters and sea or tidal waters, as well as wells. It applies to industries, operations or processes and treatment and disposal systems; ‘all persons’, that is, individuals, industries and municipal authorities; and to trade effluents as well as sewage effluents. The Act normally applies to the entire State but the State Government has the discretionary power to restrict its application to specific ‘water pollution, prevention and control’ area Such action must be based on prior consultation with, or recommendation of, the State Pollution Control Board.
The Water Act establishes the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) (at the national level) and the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) or the Pollution Control Committee (at the State/Union Territory level) to carry out its objectives. The main function of the CPCB is to promote the cleanliness of streams and wells in different areas of the States and it can also lay down standards for them, in consultation with State Governments. It also plays an advisory role to the Central Government; it coordinates the activities of, resolves disputes among, and provides technical assistance and guidance to, the SPCBs, etc. On the other hand, the SPCBs are required to perform several functions. These include: · classifying waters of the State; · laying down, modifying or annulling effluent standards for (a) sewage/trade effluents; and (ii) the quality of receiving waters resulting from discharge of effluents; · laying down effluent standards to be complied with by persons while discharging sewage and/or sullage; · laying down standards of treatment of sewage/trade effluents to be discharged into a stream; · evolving economical and reliable methods of treatment of sewage/trade effluents, methods of utilization in agriculture, and efficient methods of
disposal on land in certain cases; · reviewing the disposal system of sewage effluents, works and plants for sewage treatment or in connection with the grant of any consent; · making, varying or revoking any order (i) for prevention, control or abatement of discharge of waste into streams or wells; (ii) requiring any person concerned to construct new systems for the disposal of sewage/trade effluents or to modify, alter or extend existing system or to adopt necessary remedial measures to prevent, abate or control water pollution; · advising the State Government with respect to the location of an industry whose operation is likely to result in water pollution. The Water Act prohibits any person from knowingly causing or permitting the entry of (i) any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter, directly or indirectly, into any stream or well or sewer or on land, or (ii) any other matter into any stream which may tend, either directly or in combination with similar matters, to impede the proper flow of the water of the stream in a manner leading or likely to lead to a substantial aggravation of pollution due to other causes or of its consequences.
The SPCB is responsible for determining whether the matter is ‘poisonous, noxious or polluting’ or ‘any other’ matter. However, these prohibitions may not apply in some situations. 6 The command-and-control approach towards water pollution is evident from the permit system envisaged under the Water Act. Previous consent of the SPCB is required to establish any industry, operation or process, or any treatment and disposal system etc., which is likely to discharge sewage/trade effluent into a stream or well or sewer or on land (known as sewage discharge), to use any new or altered outlet for,or to make any new, sewage discharge. Contravention of these two provisions is punishable with imprisonment for a term between 18 months and six years as well as fine.
The SPCB has been granted certain powers to prevent and control water pollution. It can undertake certain emergency measures to remove and dispose the polluting matter, or to remedy or mitigate pollution caused by the polluting matter or issue orders immediately restraining or prohibiting the polluting activity. · It can apply to the courts to restrain apprehended water pollution in streams and wells. The court may direct a potential polluter to desist from causing pollution or direct an actual polluter to remove the polluting matter. In case of non-compliance with the latter direction, the SPCB may be authorized by the court to undertake the removal and disposal and recover the expenses from the polluter. · It can direct closure, prohibit or regulation of any industry, operation or process, or to stop or regulate supply of water, electricity or any other service. The person-in-charge of an industry, operation or process or any treatment or disposal system or any extension or addition thereto, or the local authority in charge of a sewerage system or sewage works, is required to report any actual or likely discharge of a poisonous, noxious or polluting matter into a stream or well or sewer or on land due to an accident or other unforeseen act or event, and the resulting or likely water pollution, to the SPCB or other prescribed authority. In order to augment the financial resources of the CPCB and SPCBs, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 levies a cess on the water consumed by persons carrying on certain industries and local authorities. A 25 per cent rebate is given to any person or local authority that installs a sewage treatment plant or trade effluent treatment plant. In a majority of cases, the water cess amount is either not assessed and levied by the SPCB, or if levied, remains unpaid by the consumers and/or its collection is not pursued by the SPCB.
Judicial Decisions
TheSupreme Court of India, High Courts as well as the National Green Tribunal have adjudicated a number of cases where the issue of water pollution was raised. Some of these cases have provided the courts with an opportunity to address situations resulting from poor implementation or non-implementation of the relevant provisions of existing laws (see the 8 MC Mehta cases below). In some other cases, courts have relied on principles of environmental law, such as the polluter pays principle and the precautionary
principle, to impose liability on the polluter or the potential polluter who has then been directed to undertake the necessary remedial or preventative measures, as the case may be (see the Indian Council case &Vellore case below).There are several other cases where over the years, important aspects of the water pollution issue have been raised before the courts.
In MC Mehta v. Union of India(Kanpur Tanneries case), AIR 1988 SC 1037, a public interest litigation soughtan order from the Supreme Court to restrain the tanneries near Kanpur city from discharging trade effluents into the river Ganga until they set up effluent treatment plants. The Court observed that the provisions of the Water Act were comprehensive but the SPCBs had not taken effective steps to prevent the discharge of effluents into the river Ganga. It also noted the failure of the Central Government to do much under the Environment Act to stop the grave public nuisance caused by the tanneries. Insofar as the tanneries are concerned, the Court observed that the fact that their effluents are first discharged into municipal sewers did not absolve the tanneries from being proceeded against under the provisions of the law in force, since ultimately the effluents reach the river Ganga.Among other directions, the Court ordered stoppage of work in the tanneries, which were discharging effluents into the river and which did not set up primary treatment plants. It considered the financial capacity of the tanneries to set up primary treatment plants to be irrelevant. According to the Court, the tanneries were not being taken by surprise as they were being asked to take necessary steps to prevent discharge of untreated wastewater into the river for several years. In another important case, MC Mehta v. Union of India(Municipalities case), AIR 1988 SC 1115, a public interest litigation was filed seeking the enforcement of the statutory provisions which impose duties on municipal authorities and the SPCB constituted under the Water Act.. The Supreme Court observed that the municipal authorities have the statutory duty to prevent public nuisance caused by pollution of the river Ganga and therefore, the municipal corporation of Kanpur has to bear the major responsibility for river pollution near the city. The Court also took note of the fact that many of the provisions of the Water Act and the municipal laws for prevention and control of water pollution have just remained on paper without any adequate action being taken pursuant thereto. In Indian Council for Enviro-Legal Action v Union of India and Others, AIR 1996 SC 1446, among other claims, it wasalleged that water in wells and streams in village Bichhri in Udaipur district in the State of Rajasthan had become unfit for consumption as a result of disposal of untreated toxic sludge from an industrial complex located within the limits of the village. The Supreme Court held that the respondents were absolutely liable to pay compensation for the harm caused by them to the villagers in the affected area and surrounding areas as well as to the environment.According to the Court, the power to levy costs required for carrying out remedial measures is implicit in the Environment Act. In another case, Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum v Union of India and Others, AIR 1996 SC 2715, the petitioner organization was concerned about water pollution resulting from the discharge of untreated effluents by tanneries and other industries into riverPalar in the State of Tamil Nadu, which was a source of drinking water supply.
The Supreme Court directed the constitution of an authority under the Environment Act to deal with the situation created by the tanneries and other polluting industries in the State. The authority was also directed to frame and execute scheme(s) for reversing ecological/environmental damage caused by pollution in the State. It also imposed pollution fine on all the tanneries, and ordered the closure of tanneries that fail to pay the fine. However, it allowed suspension of closure orders where tanneries agree to set up common effluent treatment plants or individual pollution control devices and obtain consent to operate from the SPCB. Failure to obtain consent from the SPCB would however result in closure of tanneries.
Air pollution
The presence of harmful toxic compounds in extreme quantities in the air results in air pollution. The primary sources of air pollution are harmful gases like sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, nitrous oxide, nitrogen dioxide, and other suspended particles.
Air pollution is usually caused by burning fossil fuels like petroleum, and coal-burning of wood and cow dung cakes in homes, factories, vehicles, and power plants. Among all other continents globally, India is the country with the most polluted cities. Lucknow, Kanpur, New Delhi are a few among them because of excessive use of fossil fuels by vehicles and other industrial units.
Air pollution mainly affects those living in large urban areas, where road emissions contribute the most to the degradation of air quality. There is also a danger of industrial accidents, where the spread of a toxic fog can be fatal to the populations of the surrounding areas. The dispersion of pollutants is determined by many parameters, most notably atmospheric stability and wind.
Air is a third critical resource for humans, plants, animals and all other organisms within a natural area. Air must be monitored in order to control and lower pollution levels, control smoke caused by wildland fires, and to monitor air quality. The Forest Service monitors the effects of air pollution that may impair visibility, harm human health, injure trees and other plants, acidify or cause unnatural fertilization of streams and lakes, leach nutrients from soils, and degrade cultural resources, like archeological sites and historical buildings. Forest activities that can affect air quality such as prescribed burning, ski areas, and mining are also monitored to ensure compliance with air regulations for human health and to monitor possible impacts to natural resources.
Soil Pollution
Soil pollution is the contamination of soil due to harmful substances. Polluted soil becomes unfit for growing crops and plants, and is usually accompanied by water pollution. The significant causes of soil pollution are over-irrigation, usage of pesticides, dumping of sewage and garbage, deforestation and mining. The most common soil pollutants are heavy metals like lead and mercury, pesticide compounds, salt and mineral ores. These pollutants disturb the soil profile, spoil the soil fertility and make it unfit for growing crops.
Water and soil pollution usually occur together as polluted water seeps into the soil and contaminates it. Pollutants from the soil can leach into groundwater or move into the water bodies when it rains.
Ganges Pollution Case:
The Supreme Court of India reacting to the public interest litigations has passed several judgments and a number of Orders against polluting industries numbering more than fifty thousand in the Ganga basin. As a result of these directions millions of people have been saved from the effects of air and water pollution inGangabasincovering8statesinIndia.
Kamal Nath’s Case
The irony of this case is that a Public Interest Litigation was filed against the family members of Kamal Nath, the Minister of Environment and Forests, Govt. of India. The family members of the Minister own the Span motel in the State of Himachal Pradesh. They diverted the Course of River Beas to beautify the motel. The Supreme Court of India had directed the owners of the Motel to hand over the forest land to the Govt. of Himachal Pradesh and further order the removal of all sorts of encroachment spending the
Money from their own pocket.
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