Outrage in Punjab over new water law

Environmentalists, activists, and opposition slam the AAP government for pro-industry pollution law ahead of Ludhiana bypoll.

- NEERAJ MOHAN

The Bhagwant Mann-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s decision to adopt the Centre’s Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024 in Punjab—allowing industries to discharge pollutants into water bodies in exchange for financial penalties—has ignited a political and environmental firestorm in the agrarian and river-rich state.

The controversy revolves around the state’s recent adoption of the amendment, which replaces provisions of the landmark 1974 law. The Punjab Vidhan Sabha passed a resolution last month to adopt the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024, enacted by the Centre. Critics have labelled the amendment a “license to kill,” warning it could irreversibly damage Punjab’s fragile river and groundwater ecosystems.

While the original Act included stringent jail terms of up to six years for violators, the amended version replaces criminal penalties with monetary fines ranging from Rs10,000 to Rs 15 lakh. The Punjab Cabinet approved the amended law on February 27, making Punjab the 19th state to adopt it.

The move has drawn sharp criticism from environmentalists and opposition leaders, who questioned the need to amend a law that had been in force for 50 years. They accused the AAP-led state government of yielding to industrial and corporate pressure at the cost of Punjab’s water health—especially ahead of the crucial Ludhiana West by-election, where industrial interests are dominant, and AAP faces a litmus test.