Punjab Environmental Protection Act, 1997

From: 1997-12-06 - To: 0000-00-00 An Act to provide for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment, for the prevention and control of pollution, and promotion of sustainable development. WHEREAS, it is expedient to provide for the protection, conservation, rehabilitation and improvement of the environment, prevention and control of pollution, promotion of sustainable development, and for matters connected therewith and incidental thereto; It is hereby enacted as follows:- 1. Short title, extent and commencement.– (1) This Act shall be called the [2][Punjab] Environmental Protection Act, 1997. (2) It extends to the whole of [3][the Punjab]. (3) It shall come into force at once. 2. Definitions.– In this Act, unless there is anything repugnant in the subject or context,– (i) “adverse environmental effect” means impairment of, or damage to, the environment and includes– (a) impairment of, or damage to, human health and safety or to biodiversity or property; (b) pollution; and (c) any adverse environmental effect as may be specified in the regulations; (ii) “agriculture waste” means waste from farm and agricultural activities including poultry, cattle farming, animal husbandry, residues from the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other farm chemicals; (iii) “air pollutant” means any substance that causes pollution of air and includes soot, smoke, dust particles, odor, light, electro-magnetic, radiation, heat, fumes, combustion exhaust, exhaust gases, noxious gases, hazardous substance and radioactive substances; (iv) “biodiversity” or “biological diversity” means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including inter alia terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; this includes diversity within species, between species and of ecosystems; (v) “Council” means the [4][Punjab] Environmental Protection Council established under section 3; (vi) “discharge” means spilling, leaking, pumping, depositing, seeping, releasing, flowing out, pouring, emitting, emptying or dumping; (vii) “ecosystem” means a dynamic complex of plant, animal and micro-organism…