ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT 1986 AND DIFFERENT RULES MADE UNDER IT

 

ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT 1986 AND DIFFERENT RULES MADE UNDER IT

The ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT was enacted in 1986 to provide for the protection and improvement of the environment. It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and tackling specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country(powers for environmental protection, regulation of the discharge of environmental pollutants, handling of hazardous substances and speedy response in the event of accidents threatening accident and taking action on who endanger the human environment, safety and health). The Act was last amended in 1991.

The objective of protecting the environment in all its form is achieved by establishing and implementing different RULES by exercising powers granted by the ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT 1986. The different RULES that are established/ implemented under the ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT 1986 are

·        2-T Oil (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 1998

·        Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001

·        Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998

·        Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness and Response) Rules, 1996

·        Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016

·        E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016

·        Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986

·        Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and TransboundaryMovement) Rules, 2008

·        Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989

·        Solid wastes (Management and handling) Rules, 2015.

·        Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

·        Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000.

·        Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.

·        Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999.

·  Rules for The Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Micro-Organisms/genetically Engineeredorganisms Or Cells, 1989.

·        Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010.

·        Regulation of Lead Contents in Household and Decorative Paints Rules, 2016.

PURPOSE OF EACH RULE:

1) 2-T Oil (Regulation of Supply and Distribution) Order, 1998:This rule was made to protect and improve the quality of the environment in the National Capital Territory of Delhi by taking necessary measures relating to the supply, distribution, buying and selling of 2-T oil(lubricating oil) so that loose material is sold or used or disposed.

2) Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001: The Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, help us to not only handle the used-up battery waste efficiently but also no harm will come to the environment during manufacture, processing, sale, purchase and use of batteries.

3) Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998:These rules help in managing (Management and Handling) Biomedical waste during generation, collection, receiving, storing, transporting, treatment, disposal or during handling bio-medical waste in any form

4) Chemical Accidents (Emergency Planning, Preparedness, and Response) Rules, 1996: These rules help to have proper crisis management in the event of any chemical accident.

5) Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016:These rules are framed to keep more emphasis on responsibilities on waste generators and various stakeholders and give proper direction to segregation, recovery, reuse, recycle and properly address in detail the management of construction and demolition waste.

6) E-Waste (Management) Rules, 2016: The rules aim to enable the recovery and/or reuse of useful material from e-waste, thereby reducing the hazardous wastes destined for disposal and to ensure the environmentally sound management of all types of waste of electrical and electronic equipment.

7) Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986:These rules aim to protect and improve the quality of the environment by providing emission/discharge standards for pollutants coming from different processes/activities in industries.

8) Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling and Transboundary movement) Rules, 2008:The Rules lay down corresponding duties of various authorities such as MoEF, CPCB, State/UT Govts., SPCBs, Authority and Custom Authority while State Pollution Control Boards/ Pollution Control Committees have been designated with wider responsibilities touching across almost every aspect of Hazardous wastes generation, handing and their disposal.

9) Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989:It regulates the manufacture, storage and import of hazardous chemicals in India. These rules are framed under 20 sections, these 20 sections refer to 12 schedules for regulatory requirements to be followed while handling hazardous chemicals.

10) SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT RULES 2015:These rules help in the Scientific disposal of solid waste through segregation, collection and treatment and disposal in an environmentally sound manner minimizes the adverse impact on the environment. The local authorities are responsible for the development of infrastructure for collection, storage, segregation, transportation, processing, and disposal of Municipal Solid Waste.

11) Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000:These rules help in regulating and controlling noise producing and generating sources to maintain the ambient air quality standards in respect of noise.

12) Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000:  These rules regulate the production, consumption, purchase, sale and use of OZONE DEPLETING SUBSTANCES.

13) Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016: These rules help in effectively working towards plastic waste minimization, source segregation, recycling, involving waste pickers, recyclers and waste processors in the collection of plastic waste fraction either from households or any other source of its generation or intermediate material recovery facility and adopt polluter’s pay principle for the sustainability of the waste management system.

14)  Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999:The rules are notified for manufacture and use of recycled plastics carry bags and containers which lays down that, no vendor shall use carry bags or containers made of recycled plastics for storing, carrying, dispensing, or packaging of foodstuffs.

15) Rules for The Manufacture, Use, Import, Export, and Storage of Hazardous Micro-Organisms/genetically Engineered organisms Or Cells, 1989: These rules apply to the manufacture, import, and storage of micro-organisms and gene-technological products.

16) Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules, 2010:These Rules emphasizes the need to set up a regulatory mechanism consistent with the Ramsar Convention to maintain the ecological character of the identified wetlands and develop a national inventory of such wetlands

17)  Regulation of Lead Contents in Household and Decorative Paints Rules, 2016: These rules establish that any kind of manufacture, trade, import, and export of Household and Decorative Paints containing lead or lead compounds (calculated as lead metal) over 90 parts per million (0.009 percent.) of the weight of the total non-volatile content of the weight of the dried paints film is hereby prohibited.

Article by PJ Mohan

Sr.Faculty, NIFS