Water Act /

DEFINITIONS

Certain words / phrases have been defined in the Act within the context in which they are used. These definitions have been listed in Section 2 of the Act. Below, we have provided a list of these definitions, and have also included definitions of words / phrases that have not been defined in the Act but have been added to aid in the understanding of legal text.

Throughout the text on this site, words that are found on the definitions list appear underlined; by clicking on such a word, the definition appears just below the word, so you do not have to repeatedly consult this list while reading other sections of the law.

Company: any body corporate, and includes a firm or other association of individuals

Director: in relation to a firm, means a partner in the firm

Injunction: A judicial process or order requiring the person or persons to whom it is directed to do a particular act or to refrain from doing a particular act.

New discharge: applicable to the provisions of Sections 25, 27 and 30: discharge which is not substantially a continuation of a discharge made within the preceding twelve months, as regards the nature and composition, temperature, volume and the rate of discharge of effluent (whether by the same or a different outlet). However, a discharge which is in other respects a continuation of previous discharge shall not be deemed to be a new discharge by reason of any reduction of the temperature or volume or rate of discharge of the effluent as compared with the previous discharge.

Occupier: in relation to any factory or premises, means the person who has control over the affairs of the factory or the premises, and includes, in relation to any substance, the person in possession of the substance.

Outlet: includes any conduit pipe or channel, open or closed carrying sewage or trade effluent or any other holding arrangement which causes, or is likely to cause, pollution

Outlet, new or altered: applicable to the provisions of Sections 25, 27 and 30: any outlet which is wholly or partly constructed on or after the commencement of the Act, or an outlet which is substantially altered after such commencement (regardless of when it was constructed).

Pollution: such contamination of water or such alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of water, or such discharge of any sewage or trade effluent or of any other liquid, gaseous or solid substance into water (whether directly or indirectly) as may, or is likely to, create a nuisance or render such water harmful or injurious to public health or safety, or to domestic, commercial, industrial, agricultural or other legitimate uses, or to the life and health of animals or plants or of aquatic organisms.

Prescribed: prescribed by rules made under this Act by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be.

Sewage effluent: means effluent from any sewerage system or sewage disposal works and includes sullage from open drains

Sewer: means any conduit pipe or channel, opened or closed, carrying sewage or trade effluent

State Government: in relation to a Union territory means the Administrator thereof appointed under article 239 of the Constitution

Stream: includes the following:
(i) river
(ii) water course (whether flowing or for the time being dry)
(iii) inland water (whether natural or artificial)
(iv) subterranean waters
(v) sea or tidal waters to such extent or, as the case may be, to such point as the State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, specify in this behalf

Trade effluent: any liquid, gaseous or solid substance, other than domestic sewage, which is discharged from any premises used for carrying on any industry, operation or process, or from a treatment and disposal system