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Author: Associate Runa Jasia

The environment is the natural world, as a whole or in a particular geographical area, especially as affected by human activity.

Environmental law, also known as environmental and natural resources law, is a collective addressing environmental pollution. A related but distinct set of regulatory regimes, now strongly influenced by environmental legal principles, focus on the management of specific natural resources, such as forests, minerals, or fisheries. Other areas, such as environmental impact assessment, may not fit neatly into either category, but are nonetheless important components of environmental law.

It is very important to give importance towards this topic. Year after year our environment is being drastically affected due to global warming, deforestation Etc. The government has initiated many programs and enacted laws to help protect the environment. 10 such must know laws are as follows:

1.The Environment Protection Act, 1986
This law was enacted by the Parliament of India in the year 1986 under the article number 253 of the Indian Constitution. It aims to implement decisions of the United Nations Conference of the Human Environment held at Stockholm in the year 1972. Their main aim is to protect human environment. It gives authorization to the government of India to reduce pollution and protect environment from hazardous activity that is caused by many human activities.

2. The Motor Vehicles Act, 1988
It was enacted by parliament of India in the year 1988. It amends the law relating to motor vehicles. This act helps in improving technology related to motor vehicles management system. It deals with the changes in the road development technology and how a passenger gets affected by this road transport mechanism. Numbers of commercial and personal vehicles in the country are increasing rapidly. 

It is important to take care of this issue to make transportation more reliable and easy for passengers. This system needs to adopt high advanced technologies. It also deals with the road safety measures, pollution control Etc. If somebody is breaking any traffic law who are also known as traffic offenders, must be charged with the right amount of penalties. Through implementing right safety measures road accidents can be reduced. It is important to track down the traffic offenders effectively. Motor vehicles needs to be checked whether they have NOC or not, driving licenses or not Etc. Effective use of various devices like anti-pollution controller, traffic controller Etc. must be implemented.

3. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980
It was enacted by Parliament of India in the year 1980. Further amendments were made in this act during 1988. It deals with issues related to forest and aims at forest conservation. It applies to the whole country except to the state Jammu and Kashmir. It provides restriction in how a forest land can be utilized. It prohibits the State Government, except prior permission from central government for issuing orders directing to use of forest land for non-forest purpose.

4. The Noise Control Act, 2002
It was enacted in the year 2002. These Rules amend the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules by inserting a new sub-rule to rule 5 dealing with restrictions on the use of loud speakers. Thousands of people's health is affected due to noise pollution. It affects the human brain in a bad way. It can lead to serious hearing problems, temporary or permanent. It damages the nerves of the brain. It not only affects mental health but physical health as well.

5.The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972
It applies to whole of the India except the state of Jammu and Kashmir. It deals with the protection of wild animals, plants and birds. It was enacted in the year 1972. It provides certain restriction like hunting of animals, especially certain endangered species of animals. It prohibits from cutting of forests and killing birds without any permission of the government.

6. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
This act was enacted in the year 2002 by Parliament of India. For preservation of biological diversity this law was established. It provides suggestion on conservation of biodiversity. It takes right step to provide the correct way of utilizing biological resources in a right way.

7.The Batteries Rules, 2001
It is also known as the batteries (management and handling) Rules, 2001. This rule applies to every manufacturer, consumer, importer Etc. It states that old damaged batteries must be disposed in a correct manner and must be collected back for recycling. It also deals with the issue that nothing should be damaged while manufacturing or transporting or while using these batteries.

8. The National Environment Tribunal Act, 1995
This act gives the most optimized solution of disposal of cases which includes damages arising out of any accident occurring while handling any hazardous substance or material of any sort. It provides relief and compensation amount for damages happened to any person, property and the environment.

9. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
This act was enacted in the year 1974 to control and prevent water pollution. It is advised to the State Government to plan a programme for controlling pollution of streams and wells. To inspect sewage or trade effluents, works and plants for the treatment of sewage and trade effluents and to review plans, specifications or other data relating to plants set up for the treatment of water.

10. The National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997
This Act is enacted for the establishment of a National Environment Appellate Authority to hear appeals concerning the matters that come under the Environment Protection Act, 1986.