THE AIR (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLLUTION) ACT, 1981. ACT NO. 14 OF 1981, 29th March, 1981.
An Act to provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air pollution, for the establishment, with a view to carrying out the aforesaid purposes, of Boards, for conferring on and assigning to such Boards powers and functions relating thereto and for matters connected therewith.
WHEREAS decisions were taken at the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment held in Stockholm in June, 1972, in which India participated, to take appropriate steps for the preservation of the natural resources of the earth which, among other things, include the preservation of the quality of air and control of air pollution;
AND WHEREAS it is considered necessary to implement the decisions aforesaid in so far as they relate to the preservation of the quality of air and control of air pollution;
BE it enacted by Parliament in the Thirty-second Year of the Republic of India as follows:—
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| Sections | Particulars |
| Preamble | |
| 1 | Short Title, Extent and commencement |
| 2 | Definitions |
| 3 | Central Pollution Control Board |
| 4 | State Pollution control board constituted under section 4 of Act 6 of 1974 to be State Board under this Act |
| 5 | Constitution of State Board |
| 6 | Central board to exercise the powers and perform the functions of a State Board in the Union Territories |
| 7 | Terms and conditions of service of members |
| 8 | Disqualifications |
| 9 | Vacation of seats by members |
| 10 | Meetings of board |
| 11 | Constitution of committees |
| 12 | Temporary association of persons with board for particular purposes |
| 13 | Vacancy in board not to invalidate acts or proceeding |
| 14 | Member-Secretary and officers and others employees of state boards |
| 15 | Delegation of powers |
| 16 | Functions of central board |
| 17 | Functions of state board |
| 18 | Power to give directions |
| 19 | Power to declare air pollution control areas |
| 20 | Power to give instructions for ensuring standards for emission from automobiles |
| 21 | Restrictions on use of certain industrial plants |
| 22 | Persons carrying on industry, etc., not to allow emission of air pollutants in excess of the standards laid down by State Board |
| 22A | Power of board to make application to court for restraining persons |
| 23 | Furnishing of information to state board and other agencies in certain cases |
| 24 | Power of entry and inspection |
| 25 | Power to obtain information |
| 26 | Power to take samples of air or emission and procedure to be followed |
| 27 | Reports of the result of analysis on samples taken under section 26 |
| 28 | State air laboratory |
| 29 | Analysts |
| 30 | Report of analysts |
| 31 | Appeals |
| 31A | Power to give directions |
| 32 | Contributions by Central Government |
| 33 | Fund of board |
| 33A | Borrowing powers of boards |
| 34 | Budget |
| 35 | Annual report |
| 36 | Accounts and audit |
| 37 | Failure to comply with the provisions of section 21 or section 22 or with the directions issued under section 31A |
| 38 | Penalties for certain acts |
| 39 | Penalty for contravention of certain provisions of the act |
| 40 | Offences by companies |
| 41 | Offences by government departments |
| 42 | Protection of action taken in good faith |
| 43 | Cognizance of offences |
| 44 | Members, Officers and Employees of board to be pubic servants |
| 45 | Reports and returns |
| 46 | Bar of jurisdiction |
| 47 | Power to state government to supersede state board |
| 48 | Special provision in the case of supersession of the central board or the state board constituted under the Water (Prevention and control of Pollution) Act, 1974 |
| 49 | Dissolution of state boards constituted under the act |
| 50 | Omitted by the act 47 of 1987 |
| 51 | Maintenance of register |
| 52 | Effect of other laws |
| 53 | Power of central government to make rule |
| 54 | Power of state government to make rules |
| Schedule |