Write the salient features of Water Act and Water pollution Cess Act.

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Ghissu Editorial · Accepted Answer

The Water Act, 1974 set up CPCB and SPCBs, required prior consent for effluent discharge and, after its 2024 amendment, fines minor offences instead of jailing offenders. The Water Cess Act, 1977 taxed industrial and municipal water use, rebating effluent treatment, until its 2017 repeal under GST.

**Introduction**

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Water Pollution Cess Act, 1977, address India’s water pollution by regulating discharge and funding control efforts. The Water Act was amended in 2024 to decriminalize minor offences and streamline processes, while the Cess Act was repealed in 2017 under GST, reflecting evolving governance needs and balancing environmental protection with economic growth.

**Institutional Framework and Regulatory Design**

1. **Pollution Control Boards Setup**: The Act established the Central Pollution Control Board⟦1⟧ (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs); CPCB sets standards and provides technical guidance, while SPCBs enforce regulations and prosecute violators to ensure compliance⟦2⟧.

**Implementation Challenges and Outcomes**

1. **Enforcement and Compliance Issues**: SPCBs often lack capacity, resulting in low prosecution rates; a 2022 audit of ==Andhra Pradesh’s urban local bodies== highlighted waste infrastructure deficits whose leachate affects water quality, showing the need for better coordination and resources.

2. **Monitoring and Financial Utilization**: The CPCB’s National Water Quality Monitoring Programme⟦3⟧ shows some compliance improvement among Grossly Polluting Industries⟦4⟧, but significant gaps remain. Cess funds once financed the Boards; after the 2017 repeal, consent fees and grants need more transparent and efficient utilization to maximize impact.

**Way Forward**

2. **Expand Amendment Adoption and Data Use**: Advocate for all states, including ==Andhra Pradesh==, to adopt the 2024 amendments to ensure uniform regulatory practices, and utilize advanced water quality monitoring and open data policies to improve transparency and evidence-based policymaking.

**Conclusion**

The Acts form India’s core water pollution framework; their modernization and effective enforcement are key to achieving cleaner water bodies, healthier ecosystems, and sustainable development goals aligned with constitutional environmental duties.

Write the salient features of Water Act and Water pollution Cess Act.

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