Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta alleging that emissions from coke/coal‑using industries in the Taj Trapezium Zone (TTZ) were causing severe atmospheric pollution and damaging the Taj Mahal. Expert reports (NEERI, Varadharajan Committee) establishe…

Andhra Pradesh Rayons Ltd. manufactures rayon grade pulp and was assessed water cess under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977, which levies a cess on specified industries listed in Schedule I. The Appellate Committee held the pulp industry to be a textile industry, but the Andhra Pradesh Hig…

The Supreme Court examined a writ petition concerning the discharge of objectionable effluents from Sakthi Sugars Ltd.'s distillery into the Bhavani River, which had become a health and environmental hazard. The High Court had dismissed the petition solely on the consent of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, a dec…

The case concerns the continued pollution of the Palar River in Vellore District by tannery effluents and the adequacy of compensation awarded by the Loss of Ecology Authority (LoEA). The appellants, the Vellore District Environment Monitoring Committee, challenged the Madras High Court's dismissal of writ petitions th…

The Delhi Development Authority (DDA) auctioned a 14.3‑hectare parcel of land for residential development on an "as is where is" basis, and Kenneth Builders & Developers Ltd. (the builder) paid the full bid amount and obtained possession. The development agreement required the builder to secure all statutory clearances…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals challenging the grant of an industrial licence to Al‑Kabeer Exports Ltd. for a mechanised slaughter‑house in Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. The petitioners argued that the licence violated location prohibitions, environmental standards, the Andhra Pradesh Prohibition of C…

Vedanta Limited operates a copper smelter at the SIPCOT industrial complex in Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the State Government ordered its closure for repeated violations of environmental norms, including operating without consent, improper hazardous waste management, and dumping…

The Supreme Court examined the non‑compliance of Sakthi Sugars Ltd. with directions issued by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Board had ordered proper storage, treatment and disposal of effluent, but the company failed to impleme…

The Supreme Court entertained a public‑interest writ under Article 32 filed by the Vellore Citizens Welfare Forum alleging that tanneries in five districts of Tamil Nadu were discharging untreated effluents, contaminating surface and groundwater, rendering 35,000 hectares of agricultural land unfit for cultivation and …

The Supreme Court examined a Public Interest Litigation concerning the Taj Heritage Corridor project, which alleged irregularities and unauthorized release of Rs. 17 crore. The Court had earlier ordered a CBI inquiry and later directed the CBI to register an FIR and investigate senior officials. The Director of CBI sub…

The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) filed complaints against the City Municipal Council (CMC) of Krishnarajapuram and its former commissioners for discharging untreated sewage in violation of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The High Court quashed the proceedings under Section …

The Supreme Court examined the controversy surrounding the establishment of a mechanised slaughter house (Alkabeer Abattoir) at Rudraram, Medak district, Andhra Pradesh. The petitioner organisations challenged the various permissions granted to the company, arguing that the slaughter house would deplete cattle wealth a…

The State of Manipur reconstituted its State Pollution Control Board under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, appointing a Chairman whose three‑year term was to end on 4 May 1998. After the Chairman resigned, Chandam Manihar Singh was nominated on 16 October 1996 to fill the casual vacancy. He w…

The appellant, D. Swamy, challenged the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board's (KSPCB) consent to operate a Common Bio‑Medical Waste Treatment Facility (CBMWTF) on the ground that the facility lacked prior environmental clearance (EC) under the 2006 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification as amended. The …

The Supreme Court examined an appeal against an order of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that directed State Governments to reconsider the appointments of chairpersons and members of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and to lay down guidelines for such appointments. The Court held that under the National Green T…

M.C. Mehta, a social worker, filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking directions to stop the discharge of untreated tannery effluents into the River Ganga. The Court treated the case as a representative action, issuing notices to industrialists and municipal bodies and hearing evidence that many tanneries at Jajm…

The Union Territory of Jammu & Kashmir and the National Highways Authority sought to overturn a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order that set aside environmental clearances (EC) granted for sand and gravel mining for a highway project. The Supreme Court examined whether an EC could be validly issued when the District Su…

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) directed CCL Products (India) Ltd. to furnish three bank guarantees to secure compliance with environmental directions issued under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. After inspecting the plant and finding violations, the Board invoked the guara…

The petitioners sought a blanket prohibition on the installation of overhead transmission lines for solar power across roughly 99,000 square kilometres in Rajasthan and Gujarat, arguing that such lines threaten the critically endangered Great Indian Bustard (GIB). The Supreme Court had earlier ordered the conversion of…

The petitioners filed a writ under Article 32 seeking the closure of Shriram Foods & Fertilizers' hazardous units. During the proceedings oleum gas escaped, prompting the Delhi Legal Aid Board and Delhi Bar Association to file applications for compensation on behalf of victims. The Court examined the scope of Article 3…

Dr. Balram Singh filed a writ petition under Article 32 seeking the full implementation of the Prohibition of Employment as Manual Scavengers and Their Rehabilitation Act, 2013 and the Employment of Manual Scavengers and Construction of Dry Latrines (Prohibition) Act, 1993. The Court examined whether the statutes requi…

The Supreme Court, hearing a public‑interest writ filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta, examined the pollution caused by about 550 tanneries in the eastern fringe of Calcutta that were discharging untreated effluent into the River Ganga. The Court found that the tanneries were operating without consent under the …

The State of Madhya Pradesh challenged the closure orders issued by a Sub‑Divisional Magistrate under Section 133 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (Cr.P.C.) against Kedia Leather and Liquor Ltd. for alleged water and air pollution. The High Court held that the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and …

The Supreme Court, hearing a writ petition under Article 32 filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta on behalf of a Monitoring Committee, examined the Taj Heritage Corridor project undertaken near the Taj Mahal. The Court found that construction and river‑bed reclamation work had commenced without the mandatory clear…

The Supreme Court examined a long‑running environmental dispute in which chemical industries in Bichhri, Rajasthan had been ordered in 1996 to pay Rs.37.385 crore for remediation of toxic sludge and to have their plants closed. Despite the judgment, the respondents repeatedly filed interlocutory applications to avoid p…

The Indian Council for Enviro‑Legal Action filed a public‑interest writ under Article 32 seeking enforcement of the 19 February 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification and challenging the validity of the 18 August 1994 amendment Notification. The petition alleged widespread non‑implementation of the 1991 Notifi…

The Supreme Court examined whether mining activities within a 5 km radius of the Delhi‑Haryana border and in the Aravalli hills cause environmental degradation and whether the earlier order of 6 May 2002 banning such mining should be varied. It held that the ban remains in force until a newly constituted Monitoring Com…

The Supreme Court examined whether the National Green Tribunal (NGT) could entertain direct appeals (leapfrog appeals) against original orders of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) under the Air and Water Acts, specifically the refusal to renew consent for Sterlite Industries' copper smelter. The Court held…

The Supreme Court examined a public‑interest writ petition filed by environmental activist M.C. Mehta on behalf of Delhi residents challenging two orders that prohibited Shriram Foods & Fertiliser Industries from operating its caustic‑chlorine plant in a densely populated area of Delhi. After a series of oleum‑gas leak…

The Union of India sought a direction that the minutes of the 40th meeting of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) dated 23 April 2019 be placed on record so that the Supreme Court's embargo on the environmental clearance (EC) for the Mopa greenfield airport could be lifted. The Court examined whether the EAC had adequ…

The appellants filed an application before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) seeking to quash a No‑Objection Certificate (NOC) and consent for a petrol pump at Khasra No. 109/1/2, alleging violations of environmental and municipal regulations. While the NGT dismissed the application, the appellants appealed to the Supr…

The case arose from a tragic landslide on a National Highway caused by over‑mining and hill‑cutting, which killed a woman and her daughter. The National Green Tribunal (NGT) had ordered the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the miner to pay a joint penalty, compensation to the victims' heirs and to fund a…

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Chennai ordered the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to make it mandatory for all petroleum retail outlets to obtain Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) before setting up or operating, in addition to directing the installation of vapour recovery systems (VR…

The petitioners sought to overturn a Permanent Lok Adalat order directing the closure of a slaughterhouse in Tonk, alleging the Adalat lacked jurisdiction. The Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) later issued directions under Section 33A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, after ins…

The petition challenged the constitutional validity of Sections 12(5), 12(6), 15(5) and 15(6) of the Right to Information Act, 2005, which prescribe the eligibility criteria for appointing Chief Information Commissioners and Information Commissioners. The petitioner argued that the provisions were vague, lacked specifi…

The Chhetriya Pardushan Mukti Sangharsh Samiti filed a letter alleging that an oil mill and a refinery in the Sarnath area were causing severe air and water pollution, leading to health hazards and ecological damage, and treated the letter as a writ petition under Article 32. The respondents, including the State of U.P…

The Sandur Gram Panchayat and its chief officer were convicted under Sections 43 and 44 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The Additional Sessions Judge set aside the conviction, holding that the chief officer, as a public servant, was protected by Section 197 of the Code of Criminal Procedur…

Vasant Chemicals Ltd, an industrial unit that treats its effluents at a common effluent treatment plant (JETL) before discharging them into the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board’s (HMWS&SB) sewer line, challenged the Board’s levy of sewerage cess under Section 55 of the HMWS&SB Act. The company arg…

The Supreme Court entertained a social‑action writ filed by the Indian Council for Enviro‑Legal Action on behalf of villagers of Bichhri, who suffered severe water, soil and health damage due to untreated effluents and toxic sludge from private chemical industries. The petition sought directions against the Union of In…

The U.P. Pollution Control Board granted conditional consent to Modi Carpets Ltd. to discharge trade effluent, but the company discharged untreated effluent in violation of the consent. The Board filed a complaint under Section 44 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 against the company and its …

The Supreme Court revisited a writ petition filed under Article 32 concerning the Mis Span Motel's pollution of the Beas River. The Court affirmed that damages can be awarded for environmental restoration and for victims under the polluter‑pays principle, but held that a pollution fine cannot be imposed without a crimi…

George Elias & Associates, engaged in road works, purchased Hot Mix Plants and obtained an Acknowledgement Certificate under the Kerala Micro Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME) Facilitation Act, 2019, as well as "Consent to Establish" from the Kerala State Pollution Control Board. Their application for a licence to in…

The Supreme Court entertained a public interest litigation filed by M.C. Mehta seeking relief from the severe pollution of the River Ganga at Kanpur, where 274.5 million litres of untreated sewage were being discharged daily. The petition raised the question of whether a non‑riparian citizen could sue for a public nuis…

The Supreme Court examined the validity of the Himachal Pradesh government's refusal to approve several katha‑manufacturing units after the Industrial Projects Approval and Review Authority (IPARA) had given provisional approvals. The Court held that IPARA’s approvals were merely administrative recommendations and did …

The appellants, who were public servants, were prosecuted under Section 48 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. They contended that, as public servants, prosecution required prior sanction under Section 197 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), which was not obtained. The Supreme Court examine…

Chemplast Sanmar Ltd. sought to set up a PVC plant in Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, importing Vinyl Chloride Monomer (VCM) via a marine terminal and laying pipelines that cross the Uppanar river. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) granted environmental clearance under the 1991 Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notific…

Electrosteel Steels Ltd. obtained environmental clearance (EC) and consent to establish a steel plant at a specified site in Bokaro, but later shifted the plant 5.3 km away, allegedly encroaching forest land. The Ministry of Environment and the Jharkhand State Pollution Control Board (JSPCB) revoked the EC, leading the…

Subhash Kumar filed a writ petition under Article 32 of the Constitution, claiming that West Bokaro Collieries and Tata Iron & Steel Co. were polluting the Bokaro river by discharging slurry from their washeries, thereby violating the right to life under Article 21. He also alleged that the State of Bihar and its Pollu…

The petitioner highlighted severe pollution of the Gomti River caused by several industries, including Mohan Meakins Breweries, and the Supreme Court ordered on 15 January 1993 that these units must rectify deficiencies in their effluent treatment plants by 21 March 1993 or cease operations. Mohan Meakins failed to com…

The Supreme Court examined extensive illegal mining in the Aravalli Hills of Haryana, where numerous mines operated without environmental clearances, rehabilitation plans, or compliance with statutory reclamation requirements, causing severe groundwater depletion and ecological damage. The Court considered earlier orde…

The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (the Board) refused consent to Modi Distillery's discharge of trade effluents into the Kali River because its application was incomplete and the unit lacked proper treatment facilities. After repeated notices, the Board lodged a complaint under section 44 of the Water (Preventi…

The appellants, manufacturers of formaldehyde and its resins, operated units in Rajasthan and Haryana under Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) granted by the respective State Pollution Control Boards (PCBs). The National Green Tribunal (NGT) ordered closure of these units for lacking prior Environm…

The Supreme Court examined the legality of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) amid public opposition, focusing on whether the plant complied with environmental, coastal‑zone, and safety regulations. It held that the project was undertaken under the national nuclear policy reflected in the Atomic Energy Act, 1…

The Government of Andhra Pradesh acquired a large tract of land in Hyderabad for an integrated infrastructure project, the Financial District, to be implemented by the state nodal agency APllC in partnership with a private company, Emaar. Small landowners challenged the acquisition, alleging it was not for a public pur…

The petition challenged the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s notification dated 29 January 2025 (S.O. 523(E)) and the accompanying Office Memorandum of 30 January 2025, which altered the regime of environmental clearance for building and construction projects under Entry 8(a) and 8(b) of the 2006 Sc…

The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) had granted M/s Nicosulf Industries permission to discharge effluent subject to conditions. It alleged a breach of condition No.4 after a water sample taken on 22‑June‑1989 was found non‑conforming, and filed a complaint through an Assistant Environmental Engineer. The trial c…

Keystone Realtors Pvt. Ltd. undertook a residential redevelopment project in Mumbai. The project’s built‑up area grew from 8,720.32 sq m to 32,395.17 sq m, triggering the need for an Environmental Clearance (EC) under the 2006 EIA Notification, which was granted on 2 May 2013. The appellant later increased the area by …

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) appealed against a Delhi High Court decision that held it could not levy restitutionary or compensatory damages under s.33A of the Water Act and s.31A of the Air Act, on the ground that such powers amounted to penalties. The Supreme Court examined the statutory scheme, the p…

The Supreme Court examined a series of appeals arising from the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) orders that banned rat‑hole coal mining in Meghalaya, directed the State to deposit Rs 100 crore for environmental restoration, and held that all coal extracted after May 2016 vested in the State. The Court held that the NGT…

The Supreme Court examined a massive illegal mining scandal in Odisha involving 187 iron and manganese ore leases, many of which operated without environmental or forest clearances, exceeded mining plans, or violated statutory provisions. The Court rejected the lease‑holders' claim that the Justice M.B. Shah Commission…

Sterlite Industries obtained environmental clearance and consent orders to set up a copper smelter in Tuticorin in 1995. The Madras High Court ordered its closure, citing lack of a mandatory public hearing, violation of a 25‑km distance condition from an ecologically sensitive area, and an inadequate green‑belt require…

The Supreme Court examined whether the Andhra Pradesh Government could lawfully exempt a hazardous vegetable‑oil industry from a statutory 10‑km prohibition around the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar reservoirs, which supply drinking water to Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The State had issued GO 153 granting the exemption …

The appellant, M/s Triveni Engineering and Industries Ltd., a sugar manufacturer, was ordered by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to pay Rs.18 crore as environmental compensation for alleged illegal discharge of untreated effluents and related violations. The appellant challenged the orders on the ground that it was n…

The Supreme Court heard a public‑interest writ petition seeking the cancellation of a mining lease and a ban on mining within one kilometre of the 16th‑century Jambunatha Temple, a protected monument in Karnataka. The petition challenged mining activities that were alleged to have caused structural damage to the temple…

Three pharmaceutical units in Ankleshwar began operations without obtaining the prior environmental clearance (EC) mandated by the 1994 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification. The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued a 2002 circular allowing defaulting units to obtain an ex‑post‑facto EC, which the Na…

The appellants operated nine stone‑crushing units in Trisoolam Village, Tamil Nadu, and were served notices by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for being within 500 metres of a residential area. The appellants contended that the permissible distance had been reduced to 300 metres and that all their units were bey…