Q.Enumerate the National Water Policy of India. Taking river Ganges as an example, discuss the strategies which may be adopted for river water pollution control and management. What are the legal provisions for management and handling of hazardous wastes in India?

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Key Provisions of the National Water Policy of India

First adopted in 1987 and subsequently revised in 2002 and 2012, the NWP emphasizes:

• Water as a Scarce Resource: It recognizes water as a finite, vulnerable resource, prioritizing drinking water needs, followed by agriculture, hydropower, and industrial allocation.
• Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM): The policy advocates for managing water on a river-basin scale, promoting inter-state cooperation and sustainable watershed development.
• Pollution Control and Water Quality: It stresses the urgency of pollution abatement, encouraging the recycling and reuse of wastewater and treating effluents at the source.
• Groundwater Management: It mandates the regulation of groundwater extraction, emphasizing rainwater harvesting and artificial aquifer recharge to combat declining water tables.
• Community Participation: The policy calls for decentralizing water management by actively involving local communities, Water User Associations, and marginalized groups in decision-making.
• Pricing of Water: It proposes treating water as an economic good, advocating for rational pricing mechanisms to discourage wastage in industrial and agricultural sectors.

Strategies for River Water Pollution Control: The Case of River Ganges

The Ganga River basin faces severe ecological stress from municipal sewage, industrial effluents, and agricultural runoff. Key strategies for its rejuvenation include:

• Expansion of Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs): Setting up and maintaining modern STPs to ensure zero discharge of untreated municipal sewage into the river. Under the Namami Gange Programme, several high-capacity STPs have been operationalized along the riverbanks.
• Industrial Effluent Management: Strict enforcement of Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) standards, particularly for highly polluting industries like tanneries in Kanpur and paper mills in Uttarakhand, ensuring they treat and reuse wastewater.
• Public Awareness and Community Involvement: Mobilizing local communities through mass awareness campaigns, promoting eco-friendly practices during festivals, and involving youth (Ganga Praharis) in river monitoring.
• Riverfront Development and Regulation: Creating structured riverfronts with proper solid waste management and sanitation facilities to prevent direct dumping of garbage and open defecation.
• Afforestation and Wetland Restoration: Restoring riparian wetlands and planting native vegetation along riverbanks to act as natural bio-filters, reducing agricultural runoff and soil erosion.

Legal Provisions for the Management and Handling of Hazardous Wastes in India

To safeguard public health and the environment from toxic substances, India has established a robust legal framework:

• The Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016: These rules regulate the generation, storage, packaging, transportation, recycling, and safe disposal of hazardous wastes, while strictly controlling import-export activities.
• The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: This Act established the Central and State Pollution Control Boards (CPCB and SPCBs) to monitor, regulate, and penalize the discharge of hazardous industrial effluents into water bodies.
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: This umbrella legislation empowers the central government to issue standards, direct closures of non-compliant units, and formulate specific rules for managing hazardous chemicals.
• The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991: It mandates that industries handling hazardous substances must secure public liability insurance to provide immediate financial relief to victims of industrial accidents.
• Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016: These rules govern the mandatory segregation, treatment, and scientific disposal of infectious healthcare waste to prevent environmental contamination.