Rajya Sabha passes resolution to extend water pollution law to Manipur

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a resolution through voice vote to extend the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Amendment Act, 2024, to Manipur, which is currently under the Presidents rule.The Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Amendment Act, 2024, seeks to decriminalise minor offences related to water pollution, enable the Centre to prescribe service conditions of chairpersons of State Pollution Control Boards, and exempt certain categories of industrial plants from statutory restrictions.It proposes to rationalise criminal provisions and ensure that citizens, businesses and companies operate without fear of imprisonment for minor, technical or procedural defaults.

The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday passed a resolution through voice vote to extend the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, to Manipur, which is currently under the President's rule.

The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, seeks to decriminalise minor offences related to water pollution, enable the Centre to prescribe service conditions of chairpersons of State Pollution Control Boards, and exempt certain categories of industrial plants from statutory restrictions.

It proposes to rationalise criminal provisions and ensure that citizens, businesses and companies operate without fear of imprisonment for minor, technical or procedural defaults. The Bill also seeks to decriminalise minor offences and replace them with a monetary penalty in case of continued contravention.

The resolution was moved in the Rajya Sabha by Environment and Forest Minister Bhupender Yadav, who said the two Houses need to adopt the resolution on the central Act since there is President's rule in Manipur.

Participating in the debate, the opposition MPs demanded that elections be held in Manipur. Congress MP Neeraj Dangi said the resolution had to be presented in Parliament because the situation in Manipur has not improved.

Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev said people are still living in the camps.

Replying to the debate, Yadav said this bill has already been passed by both Houses of Parliament. Several state assemblies, including Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and West Bengal, have adopted it.

''Consent to Operate (CTO) and other provisions, which have already been adopted by other states, are also to be implemented by Manipur,'' he added.

CTO is a legal authorisation from a state's Pollution Control Board in India that allows an industrial unit to operate legally by confirming it meets environmental regulations.

It decriminalises minor offences related to water pollution and enables the Centre to prescribe service conditions of chairpersons of State Pollution Control Boards, and exempt certain categories of industrial plants from statutory restrictions. This is for ease of living and doing business, and it will also be implemented in Manipur.

Over the air pollution in Delhi, the minister said it is a ''matter of our concern''.

The government has held six meetings so far since August 9, 2025, over the issue.

''We have held meetings with our Minister of Agriculture in Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, in which their respective agriculture ministers have participated,'' said Yadav.

The minister further said there is almost a 90 per cent reduction in cases of stubble burning.

However, he also admitted that ''there is a need to further improve the situation'', though the number of days in which AQI (Air Quality Index) is more than 400 is less now.

The minister also added that the government is working to control pollution from human activities.

''Whether it is dust pollution, vehicle pollution, or industry pollution, we are working on all these issues,'' Yadav said, adding that the government is ready to openly discuss this issue in parliament, whenever it comes.

Replying to a query by Trinamool Congress MP Sushmita Dev over elections in Manipur, Yadav said: ''I want to tell you that the issue of democracy, which you were raising for Manipur, the concern of democracy in the elections is more for Bengal, not for Manipur''.

''I was in charge in Manipur. It was a very peaceful election,'' he said, adding that ''in democracy, elections are held in a peaceful manner. Let it be peaceful in other states also''.

Dev had demanded to immediately hold elections democratically in Manipur, saying this is a murder of cooperative federalism.

Replying to Samajwadi MP Jaya Bachchan, who had raised the issue of 'faith and hope', the minister assured her, saying that with the passage of this resolution, ease of doing and ease of business will be implemented in Manipur.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)