Key Points
Punjab adopts Water Pollution Amendment Act 2024
Mandatory registration for crusher units & retailers
Digital monitoring introduced for mining transparency
Stricter penalties for non-compliance under new Act
With the passing of this resolution, the adoption of this Act in Punjab has been approved. Ravjot Singh said the Parliament had enacted the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act in 1974 to prevent and control water pollution and maintain the purity of water.
He said the Vidhan Sabha, in compliance with Article 252 of the Constitution, through a resolution dated February 3, 1975, enacted the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
Similarly, the Vidhan Sabha had decided to adopt the Amendment Act of 1978 through a resolution dated October 15, 1979.
The Vidhan Sabha had also decided to adopt the Amendment Act of 1988 through a resolution dated April 9, 1992.
The Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that this Amendment Act was enacted by the Parliament on February 15, 2024, and this Amendment Act was implemented for the first time in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Union Territories.
Pertinently, this Act is applicable from the date of adoption in those states from which the resolution was passed by the Vidhan Sabha or the legislative council.
In a significant move to regulate the mining and crusher industry, the state government has enacted the Punjab Regulation of Crusher Units and Stockists and Retailers Bill 2025 to bring comprehensive regulation, transparency and accountability to a sector historically plagued by unregulated practices and systemic corruption, said Cabinet Minister Aman Arora.
Listing the key features of the revolutionary Act passed by the Vidhan Sabha during the Budget session, he said that under the Act the registration of all crusher units, stockiest and retailers have been made mandatory to regulate the mining sector.
"Under the new regulation, every entity in the mining ecosystem must register, ending the era of unaccounted and unregulated operations," said Arora, while adding that each registered unit will be required to file monthly return, with strict penalties for non-compliance or misreporting.
He said the Act also introduces robust digital monitoring through an online portal that will track every aspect of mining operations from extraction to transportation. This transparent mechanism will eliminate the historical challenges of illegal mining and environmental degradation.
