Question 66 from UPSC CSE 2022 - Environme nt

Question

Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986?

IASCODEX · Accepted Answer

Correct Option: C. Central Ground Water Authority

Strategy: - Focus on bodies explicitly created by the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
- Recognize that most water commissions and boards predate the Act or are established under different statutes.
- Identify the 'Authority' (CGWA) as directly connected to the Act's environmental regulation powers.

Key Info: The Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA) was established in 1997 under sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Its mandate is the regulation and control of groundwater development and management in India, including issuing directions, granting NOCs, and enforcement against illegal extraction.

- The Central Water Commission, founded in 1945, is a technical organization subservient to the Ministry of Jal Shakti, responsible for water resources planning but not constituted under the EPA, 1986.
- The Central Ground Water Board (CGWB) functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and predates the EPA, 1986.
- The National Water Development Agency (NWDA), formed in 1982, operates for interlinking rivers and water development projects, also not created under the EPA, 1986.

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, is an umbrella environmental law, empowering the central government to constitute authorities for the protection of environment, of which CGWA is a major example.

IASCODEX · Answer

Option A: Central Water Commission

IASCODEX · Answer

Option B: Central Ground Water Board

IASCODEX · Answer

Option D: National Water Development Agency