The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986- Definitions

When a chemical tank leaks in an industrial belt such as Taloja or Dombivli, the gas does not care whether the harm counts as “air”, “water” or “soil”. The Water Act and the Air Act each cover only one piece of the problem, and neither covers hazardous chemicals as such. The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 was written to fill the gaps: a single statute that lets the Central Government act on the environment as a whole. How wide is that power, how does the Government use it, and what happens to the person who ignores it?

In two minutes

The Environment (Protection) Act 1986 is an umbrella law that gives the Central Government wide power to take any measure to protect and improve the environment, to make rules and standards, to issue binding directions including closure, and to penalise breaches.

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