Assembly Nod to Implement Water Pollution Control Amendment Act in AP
The resolution was moved by civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan. All members supported the resolution.
Vijayawada:The Andhra Pradesh Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed a resolution to implement the Centre’s Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, in the state.
The resolution was moved by civil supplies minister Nadendla Manohar on behalf of Deputy Chief Minister K. Pawan Kalyan. All members supported the resolution.
Manohar said the Centre had notified the amended legislation on February 15, 2024. The Act was initially framed for Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and Union Territories. Other states can adopt it by passing a resolution in their respective Legislative Assemblies and, wherever applicable, the legislative councils. The amendment comes into force in a state from the date on which such a resolution is passed.
The minister said the key objective of the amendment was to make the pollution-control regime more efficient and simplify regulatory procedures while retaining safeguards necessary for environmental protection. One of its major provisions is the replacement of imprisonment with monetary penalties for certain violations.
The amendment also seeks to simplify the process for appointing chairpersons of state pollution control boards. It provides for the appointment of an adjudicating officer to inquire into violations under the law and impose penalties.
Manohar said implementation of the amended act would strengthen transparency, efficiency and accountable governance in the pollution-control system while providing simpler and more industry- and business-friendly regulatory procedures.
