--- title: "Andhra Pradesh adopts Central water-pollution amendment act" url: https://projectchintan.com/article/andhra-pradesh-adopts-central-water-amendment-jc3lc publisher: Project Chintan author: Project Chintan Newsroom section: Politics published: 2026-08-20T14:00:49.362Z modified: 2026-08-20T15:30:05.972Z language: en-IN --- # Andhra Pradesh adopts Central water-pollution amendment act The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution to adopt the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024. The act replaces criminal penalties for minor violations with structured financial penalties and sets up central-adjudicating officers, with penalties going to an ## Key takeaways - Andhra Pradesh adopted the central Water Amendment Act, 2024, broadening its reach beyond initial states and union territories. - Minor infractions now incur financial penalties ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15 lakh, plus up to ₹10,000 daily for ongoing violations. - Central government will appoint adjudicating officers; penalties go to the Environmental Protection Fund; appeals to NGT allowed within 60 days with a 10% penalty deposit. - Serious offences remain criminal and can lead to imprisonment; central guidelines may influence state industrial consent processes. ## What Happened The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly approved a resolution to adopt the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, a central government reform intended to modify enforcement for water-pollution violations. The amendment act, which initially received assent on February 15, 2024, had already been applied to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and all Union Territories before the resolution was adopted by Andhra Pradesh. The law replaces rigid criminal penalties for minor administrative and technical violations with structured financial penalties. The resolution was introduced on behalf of the Deputy Chief Minister and Environment & Forests Minister, with the Civil Supplies Minister providing the details of the amendment and penalties. Key elements outlined include fines for minor non-compliances ranging from ₹10,000 to ₹15 lakh, plus additional daily fines of up to ₹10,000 for ongoing violations. The Central Government would appoint senior officials to act as adjudicating officers, who would conduct inquiries and levy the fines. All penalties collected under the act would be credited to the Environmental Protection Fund. Those who dispute the adjudicating officers’ rulings can appeal to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) within 60 days, provided they deposit 10% of the imposed penalty at the time of filing the appeal. While minor offences are decriminalised, more serious violations—such as failing to comply with industrial consent norms under Sections 25 or 26, or defaulting on penalty payments for more than 90 days—remain subject to criminal action, including imprisonment for one to seven years. The act also empowers the Central government to issue binding guidelines to State Boards regarding the grant, refusal, or cancellation of industrial establishment consents, and allows for exemption of certain categories of industrial plants. ## Why It Matters The resolution signals a shift toward financial penalties as the primary enforcement mechanism for minor water-pollution violations, reducing the reliance on criminal proceedings for smaller infractions. The creation of a centralized adjudication framework and the transfer of fines to a dedicated Environmental Protection Fund are positioned as mechanisms to streamline enforcement and fund environmental governance. The right to appeal to the National Green Tribunal within 60 days introduces a formal recourse for affected parties, subject to a 10% deposit of the penalty. The act preserves criminal liability for more serious breaches and establishes central oversight for industrial consent processes, potentially affecting how states regulate and permit industrial activity that impacts water quality. ## Background The amendment act, originally assented by the President on February 15, 2024, was first applied to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and all Union Territories before being considered by other states. Andhra Pradesh’ approval comes as part of a broader adoption process for the act by multiple states, expanding the central framework to additional jurisdictions. The current Andhra Pradesh move follows from a government resolution framework introduced on behalf of senior ministers responsible for environment, forests, and civil supplies. ## Key Facts - The Andhra Pradesh Legislative Assembly passed a resolution to adopt the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024. - The amendment act was assented to by the President on February 15, 2024 and had been applied to Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and all Union Territories before this adoption. - Minor non-compliances now attract financial penalties of ₹10,000 to ₹15 lakh, with daily fines up to ₹10,000 for ongoing violations. - Adjudicating officers are to be appointed by the Central Government to hold inquiries and levy penalties. - Penalties collected under the act go to the Environmental Protection Fund. - Aggrieved parties may appeal to the National Green Tribunal within 60 days, depositing 10% of the penalty. - Criminal action remains for serious offences, including failure to meet industrial consent norms or long-delayed penalty payments (over 90 days). - The act authorises the Central Government to issue binding guidelines to State Boards on industrial consent processes and permits exemptions for certain industrial categories. ## What Happens Next With the Andhra Pradesh adoption now formalised, the state aligns with a central framework intended to standardise penalties for minor violations across participating jurisdictions. The central appointment of adjudicating officers and the routing of penalties to a central Environmental Protection Fund will govern enforcement, while the NGT remains a route for appeal within a 60-day window, subject to a 10% deposit. The ongoing status of serious offences remains criminal, reinforcing a tiered approach to enforcement that differentiates minor administrative breaches from substantive violations of pollution norms. --- Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/andhra-pradesh-adopts-central-water-amendment-jc3lc Reported from: Multiple Sources