“As humans civilisation progressed, man started altering the environment in the pursuit of creating an economic, social and cultural environment of his own choice. This slowly resulted in the depletion of natural resources and degradation of environment.” Explain it in context of national legislations of water acts?

BEVAE-181 Solved Assignment 2024-2025 | ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES | IGNOU

Q. “As human civilisation progressed, man started altering the environment in the pursuit of creating an economic, social and cultural environment of his own choice. This slowly resulted in the depletion of natural resources and degradation of environment.” Explain it in the context of national legislations of water acts.

From the beginning of civilization, human beings have depended on natural resources for survival—especially water. Rivers, lakes, and underground water have been the backbone of agriculture, drinking needs, industries, and cultural practices. However, with rapid industrialization, urbanization, and population growth, this delicate relationship between humans and nature, especially water ecosystems, has been deeply disturbed.

In the pursuit of economic, social, and cultural development, man has overexploited and polluted water resources, leading to severe environmental degradation. To control this situation, several national legislations and water acts have been introduced in India.

1. How Human Activities Degrade the Environment and Water Resources

As civilizations advanced:

a) Urbanization

• Growth of cities leads to more demand for water.

• Unplanned urban development causes water scarcity and contamination of lakes and rivers due to untreated sewage.

b) Industrialization

• Industries use large amounts of water and discharge toxic waste into rivers.

• Heavy metals and chemicals pollute water bodies beyond recovery.

c) Agriculture and Over-irrigation

• Excessive use of groundwater for farming has led to falling water tables.

• Chemical fertilizers and pesticides seep into groundwater and pollute it.

d) Deforestation and Construction

• Reduction of forests near water bodies leads to soil erosion and siltation of rivers.

• Construction of dams, hotels, and recreational spots near lakes causes pollution and changes in natural flow.

e) Cultural Practices

• Religious offerings, immersion of idols, and festivals near rivers (like Ganga and Yamuna) often lead to pollution.

2. Why is Water Resource Management Important?

Water is a finite natural resource. Misuse and pollution of water threaten not only human life but also aquatic ecosystems. Some critical impacts of water mismanagement include:

• Scarcity of drinking water

• Health hazards due to waterborne diseases

• Death of aquatic species due to chemical pollution

• Reduction in agriculture yield due to poor water quality

• Conflicts between states over river water (like Cauvery, Krishna, etc.)

To address such problems, the Indian government has introduced several Water Acts and environmental legislations.

3. National Legislations on Water Protection

India has recognized the importance of water conservation and pollution control through various legislative measures. Here are the key laws:

A. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

This is the most important legislation related to water pollution.

Key Features:

• Establishes Central and State Pollution Control Boards.

• Aims to prevent and control water pollution.

• Maintains or restores the quality of water in rivers and lakes.

• Industries must seek permission before discharging effluents into water bodies.

• Boards can take legal action against polluters.

• Provides for inspection of industrial units, collection of samples, and setting up effluent treatment standards.

Significance:

This Act was a turning point in India’s environmental protection efforts. It created an institutional mechanism to monitor and penalize water pollution across states.

B. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

Although not solely about water, this Act provides an umbrella framework for all environmental laws in India.

Key Points:

• Enacted after the Bhopal Gas Tragedy.

• Gives power to the central government to regulate environmental issues including water pollution.

• Allows the government to shut down polluting units, issue directions, and impose fines.

• Sets standards for water quality, effluent limits, and pollution control equipment.

Relevance to Water:

This law enhances the effectiveness of the Water Act by allowing stricter penalties and broader powers to control polluters.

C. The National Water Policy (Latest – 2012)

While not a law, this policy guides water resource planning and management.

Key Focus Areas:

• Emphasizes water conservation, equitable distribution, and sustainable use.

• Encourages rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge.

• Promotes reuse and recycling of water, especially in industries.

• Advocates community participation in water management.

D. The River Boards Act, 1956

This Act allows the central government to establish boards for inter-state rivers.

• Focus is on coordination between states for development and regulation.

• Example: Boards for rivers like Ganga, Yamuna, and Godavari.

• However, this Act has not been effectively implemented in most regions.

E. Ganga Action Plan & National River Conservation Plan

Special schemes launched to clean polluted rivers.

Objectives:

• Install sewage treatment plants (STPs)

• Stop direct discharge of industrial waste

• Promote public awareness and cultural sensitivity

Challenges:

• Poor implementation

• Lack of cooperation between states

• Corruption and fund misuse

4. Challenges in Implementation of Water Laws

5. Way Forward – What Needs to Be Done

To protect our water resources, along with laws, we need community participation and strict enforcement.

Suggested Measures:

• Strengthen the monitoring system of Pollution Control Boards.

• Make rainwater harvesting compulsory in urban areas.

• Encourage eco-friendly industries and promote zero-discharge units.

• Penalize polluting companies heavily and reward clean practices.

• Involve NGOs, youth, and schools in water conservation drives.

• Include water conservation in the education curriculum.

Conclusion

It is clear that while human progress has led to better living standards, it has come at the cost of environmental degradation, especially of precious water resources. National legislations like the Water Act of 1974 have laid the foundation for pollution control, but effective implementation and public awareness are still lacking.

Water is not just a resource—it is life itself. If we fail to protect it, the future generations will face severe water crises. Therefore, we must act responsibly and support all efforts, legal and social, to conserve and protect our water bodies.