Consider the following statements : The Environment Protection Act, 1986 empowers the Government of India to 1. state the requirement of public participation in the process of environmental protection, and the procedure and manner in which it is sought 2. lay down the standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Explanation
Statement 1 is incorrect: The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, provides the Central Government with broad powers to take measures to protect and improve the environment. However, the Act itself does not explicitly mention the 'requirement of public participation' or the 'procedure and manner in which it is sought'. These requirements were later established through the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notifications (such as those in 1994 and 2006) issued under the authority of the Act.
Statement 2 is correct: Section 3(2)(iv) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, specifically empowers the Central Government to lay down standards for emission or discharge of environmental pollutants from various sources. This allows the government to regulate industrial and other activities to prevent environmental degradation.