When did the Government of India pass the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act?
- (a)1972
- (b)1986
- (c)1990
- (d)1974
Correct — D, 1974. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted by Parliament in 1974 — India's first pollution-specific central legislation, aimed at preventing and controlling water pollution and restoring the wholesomeness of water. It created the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and empowered State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to set standards and grant consent for effluent discharge.
- (a)1972 — 1972 is the year of the Wildlife (Protection) Act — a wildlife/biodiversity law, not a pollution-control Act.
- (b)1986 — 1986 is the year of the Environment (Protection) Act — the umbrella environmental law passed after the 1984 Bhopal Gas Tragedy, not the Water Act.
- (c)1990 — No landmark central pollution-control Act was passed in 1990 — this year doesn't correspond to any of India's major environmental statutes.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 was India's first pollution-specific environmental law — it predates both the Air Act (1981) and the Environment (Protection) Act (1986). It gives the Central and State Pollution Control Boards powers to set effluent standards, grant/refuse consent to discharge, and prosecute polluters.
MPPSC/UPSC frequently test the enactment year of India's landmark environmental Acts against each other. The trap is confusing the Water Act's 1974 with the Air Act's 1981 or the Environment (Protection) Act's 1986 — all three are pollution/environment laws but from different years.
- Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act — enacted 1974 — India's first pollution-control law
- Created the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)
- Preceded the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
- Funded through a separate cess law — the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977
The Water Act (1974) was India's first pollution-specific law — years before the Air Act (1981) and Environment (Protection) Act (1986).
- Mixing up 1974 (Water Act) with 1981 (Air Act) or 1986 (Environment Act)
- Assuming the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 is a pollution law — it is a biodiversity/wildlife law
MPPSC/UPSC usually ask the enactment year directly, or as a 'match the Act to its year' / 'which Act came first' sequencing question.
No directly related past PYQ was found (a matching prior question exists but isn't attemptable yet).
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act was enacted in which year?
- (a)1974
- (b)1981
- (c)1986
- (d)1972
Answer(b) 1981.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which of the following bodies was established under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974?
- (a)National Green Tribunal
- (b)Central Pollution Control Board
- (c)National Biodiversity Authority
- (d)Central Ground Water Authority
Answer(b) Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).