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

Official text of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, enacted under Article 252 of the Constitution. This batch covers Section 24 (pollution of streams prohibited) and Section 25 (Consent to Establish/Operate).

Act No. 6 of 1974

• Enacted by: Parliament of India, under Article 252, following resolutions passed by two or more State Legislatures
• Came into force: 23 March 1974 (extended progressively to adopting States)
• Extent: States that have adopted the Act by resolution, and Union Territories
• Long title: An Act to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water.

Section 24 — Prohibition on use of stream or well for disposal of polluting matter, etc.

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section—

(a) no person shall knowingly cause or permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter determined in accordance with such standards as may be laid down by the State Board to enter (whether directly or indirectly) into any stream or well or sewer or on land; or

(b) no person shall knowingly cause or permit to enter into any stream any other matter 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.

Cited in: 3. Water Pollution Law

Section 25 — Restrictions on new outlets and new discharges

(1) Subject to the provisions of this section, no person shall, without the previous consent of the State Board—

(a) establish or take any steps to establish any industry, operation or process, or any treatment and disposal system or any extension or addition thereto, which is likely to discharge sewage or trade effluent into a stream or well or sewer or on land (such discharge being hereafter in this section referred to as discharge of sewage); or

(b) bring into use any new or altered outlets for the discharge of sewage; or

(c) begin to make any new discharge of sewage.

Cited in: 3. Water Pollution Law

This page reproduces the text of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for study purposes. It is not a certified or legally authoritative copy — always verify against the official Government of India publication for legal use.