Section 20 of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
- (1)For the purpose of enabling a State Board to perform the functions conferred on it by or under this Act, the State Board or any officer empowered by it in that behalf, may make surveys of any area and gauge and keep records of the flow or volume and other characteristics of any stream or well in such area, and may take steps for the measurement and recording of the rainfall in such area or any part thereof and for the installation and maintenance for those purposes of gauges or other apparatus and works connected therewith, and carry out stream surveys and may take such other steps as may be necessary in order to obtain any information required for the purposes aforesaid.
- (2)A State Board may give directions requiring any person who in its opinion is abstracting water from any such stream or well in the area in quantities which are substantial in relation to the flow or volume of that stream well or is discharging sewage or trade effluent into any such stream or well, to give such information as to the abstraction or the discharge at such times and in such form as may be specified in the directions.
- (3)Without prejudice to the provisions of sub-section (2), a State Board may, with a view to preventing or controlling pollution of water, give directions requiring any person in charge of any establishment where any 1 [industry, operation or process, or treatment and disposal system] is carried on, to furnish to it information regarding the construction, installation or operation of such establishment or of any disposal system or of any extension or addition thereto in such establishment and such other particulars as may be prescribed.
Summary
- The State Board is allowed to carry out surveys to understand the water flow and volume in streams or wells.
- They have the power to measure and keep records of rainfall in specific areas.
- The Board can install and maintain scientific tools, like gauges, to gather water data.
- They can order people who take large amounts of water from a stream or well to report their usage.
- The Board can require businesses to provide details about how their waste disposal systems are built and run.
- They can also specify the time and the exact form in which this information must be provided.
Practical examples
FAQ
1. Does a factory have to share its disposal plans under the Water Act of 1974?
Yes, Section 20 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, allows the State Board to require information about the construction and operation of disposal systems.
2. Can the State Board track rainfall under the Water Act of 1974?
Yes, Section 20 of the Water Act specifically empowers the State Board to take steps for the measurement and recording of rainfall.
3. Who can the Board ask for information regarding water use under the Water Act of 1974?
Under Section 20 of the 1974 Water Act, the Board can direct any person taking substantial quantities of water from a stream or well to provide information.
Test yourself
Q1.Under Section 20 of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, what can the State Board do to understand a stream's characteristics?
Q2.Who may be directed to provide information about water abstraction under Section 20 of the 1974 Water Act?
Q3.According to Section 20 of The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, what details can the Board request regarding an industrial establishment?
Q4.What scientific measurement is explicitly mentioned as something the Board can record under Section 20 of the 1974 Water Act?