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Bill to check water pollution gets LS nod
New Delhi, Feb 18: In a bid to check pollution of water and ensure its judicious use, Lok Sabha today passed a bill seeking about three-fold increase in the cess on water consumption by industries while abolishing cess on Hydel power projects.
New Delhi, Feb 18: In a bid to check pollution of
water and ensure its judicious use, Lok Sabha today passed a
bill seeking about three-fold increase in the cess on water
consumption by industries while abolishing cess on Hydel power
projects.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess (amendment) Bill was passed by a voice vote after environment minister T R Baalu told the house that about Rs 140 crore is likely to be raised annually from the cess of which 80 per cent would be given to state pollution control boards. Winding up a discussion on the bill, he said the legislation seeks to augment the resources of central and state pollution control boards and promote economy in the use of water to check pollution.
With rapid expansion of industries and towns, the responsibility of pollution control boards have increased but there has been no commensurate rise in their resources and the current cess rates have not proved to be an effective deterrent to push consumers to reduce water use. The bill seeks to extend cess application to all categories of industries which consume water more than prescribed minimum quantity and discharge sewage or trade effluents, but cess on hydel power is proposed to be abolished on the recommendation of the standing committee.
Bureau Report
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess (amendment) Bill was passed by a voice vote after environment minister T R Baalu told the house that about Rs 140 crore is likely to be raised annually from the cess of which 80 per cent would be given to state pollution control boards. Winding up a discussion on the bill, he said the legislation seeks to augment the resources of central and state pollution control boards and promote economy in the use of water to check pollution.
With rapid expansion of industries and towns, the responsibility of pollution control boards have increased but there has been no commensurate rise in their resources and the current cess rates have not proved to be an effective deterrent to push consumers to reduce water use. The bill seeks to extend cess application to all categories of industries which consume water more than prescribed minimum quantity and discharge sewage or trade effluents, but cess on hydel power is proposed to be abolished on the recommendation of the standing committee.
Bureau Report