The Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 is an Indian legislation enacted by the Parliament of India for protection of plants and

animal species. Before 1972, India only had five designated national parks. mong other reforms, the ct established sched!les of protected plant and animal species" h!nting or harvesting these species #as largely o!tla#ed. The ct provides for the protection of #ild animals, birds and plants" and for matters connected there#ith or ancillary or incidental thereto. It e$tends to the #hole of India, e$cept the %tate of &amm! and 'ashmir #hich has its o#n #ildlife act. It has si$ sched!les #hich give varying degrees of protection. %ched!le I and part II of %ched!le II provide absol!te protection ( offences !nder these are prescribed the highest penalties. %pecies listed in %ched!le III and %ched!le I) are also protected, b!t the penalties are m!ch lo#er. %ched!le ) incl!des the animals #hich may be h!nted. The plants in %ched!le )I are prohibited from c!ltivation and planting. The h!nting to the *nforcement a!thorities have the po#er to compo!nd offences !nder this %ched!le +i.e. they impose fines on the offenders,. -p to pril 2.1. there have been 1/ convictions !nder this act relating to the death of tigers.

WATER (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLL TION! ACT, 197"

NO# $ OF 197" 021rd 2arch, 1973.4 n ct to provide for the prevention and control of #ater poll!tion and the maintaining or restoring of #holesomeness of #ater, for the establishment, #ith a vie# to carrying o!t the p!rposes aforesaid, of Boards for the prevention and control of #ater poll!tion, for conferring on and assigning to s!ch Boards Po#ers and f!nctions relating thereto and for matters connected there#ith. 56*7* % it is e$pedient to provide for the prevention and control of #ater poll!tion and the maintaining or restoring of #holesomeness of #ater, for the establishment, #ith a vie# to carrying o!t the p!rposes aforesaid, of Boards for the prevention and control of #ater poll!tion and for conferring on and assigning to s!ch Boards po#ers and f!nctions relating thereto" 89 56*7* % Parliament has no po#er to make la#s for the %tates #ith respect to any of the matters aforesaid e$cept as provided in articles 239 and 2:. of the ;onstit!tion"

89 56*7* % in p!rs!ance of cla!se +1, of article 2:2 of the ;onstit!tion resol!tions have been passed by all the 6o!ses of the <egislat!res of the %tates of ssam, Bihar, =!>rat, 6aryana, 6imachal Pradesh, &amm! and 'ashmir, 'arnataka, 'erala, 2adhya Pradesh, 7a>asthan, Trip!ra and 5est Bengal to the effect that the matters aforesaid sho!ld be reg!lated in those %tates by Parliament by la#" B* it enacted by Parliament in the T#enty(fifth ?ear of the 7ep!blic of India as follo#s@(

T%E AIR (PREVENTION AND CONTROL OF POLL TION! ACT, 19&1

No# 1" of 19&1 [29th March, 1981] n ct to provide for the prevention, control and abatement of air poll!tion, for the establishment, #ith a vie# to carrying o!t the aforesaid p!rposes, of Boards, for conferring on and assigning to s!ch Boards po#ers and f!nctions relating thereto and for matters connected there#ith. 56*7* % decisions #ere taken at the -nited 8ations ;onference on the 6!m an *nvironment held in %tockholm in &!ne, 1972, in #hich India participated, to take appropriate steps for the preservation of the nat!ral reso!rces of the earth #hich, among other things, incl!de the preservation of the A!ality of air and control of air poll!tion" 89 56*7* % it is considered necessary to implement the decisions aforesaid in so far as they relate to the preservation of the A!ality of air and control of air poll!tion"

T%E ENVIRON'ENT (PROTECTION! ACT, 19&$

No# 29 OF 19&$ 021rd 2ay, 19B/.4 n ct to provide for the protection and improvement of environment and for matters connected there #ith@ 56*7* % the decisions #ere taken at the -nited 8ations;onference on the 6!man *nvironment held at %tockholm in &!ne, 1972, in #hich India participated, to take appropriate steps for the protection and improvement of h!man environment" 89 56*7* % it is considered necessary f!rther to implement the decisions aforesaid in so far as they relate to the protection and improvement of environment and the prevention of haCards to h!man beings, other living creat!res, plants and property"

In the #ake of the Bhopal Tragedy, the =overnment of India enacted the *nvironment Protection ct of 19B/ !nder rticle 2:1 of the ;onstit!tion. The p!rpose of the ct is to implement the decisions of the -nited 8ations ;onference on the 6!man *nvironment of 1972, in so far as they relate to the protection and improvement of the h!man environment t and the prevention of haCards to h!man beings, other living creat!res, plants and property. The ct is an D!mbrellaE legislation designed to provide a frame#ork for central government coordination of the activities of vario!s central and state a!thorities established !nder previo!s la#s, s!ch as the 5ater ct and the ir ct.

O()ecti*e+ of t,e Act

To co(ordinate the activities of the vario!s reg!latory agencies already in e$istence. ;reation of an a!thority or a!thorities #ith adeA!ate po#ers for environmental protection. 7eg!lation of discharge of environmental poll!tants and handling of haCardo!s s!bstance. %peedy response in the event of accidents threatening environmental and deterrents p!nishment to those #ho endanger h!man environment, safety and health.

The Factories ct, 193B+ mended Gn 19B7, The Factories ct is the principal legislation, #hich governs the health, safety, and #elfare of #orkers in factories. The ct e$tends to the #hole of India. 2ines and 7ail#ays #orkers are not incl!ded as they are covered by separate cts. The ne# ct addressed the iss!es of safety, health, and #elfare. 2any amendments #ere aimed to keep the ct in t!ne #ith the developments in the field of health and safety. 6o#ever, it #as not !ntil 19B7 that the elements of occ!pational health and safety, and prevention and protection of #orkers employed in haCardo!s process, got tr!ly incorporated in the ct. factory !nder the ct is defined as a place !sing po#er, employs 1. or more #orkers, or 2. or more #orkers #itho!t po#er or #ere #orking any day of the preceding 12 months. 6o#ever, !nder section B:, the state governments are empo#ered to e$tend the provisions of the ct to factories employing fe#er #orkers also. This section has been !sed to e$tend the coverage of the ct to #orkplaces like po#er looms, rice mills, flo!r mills, oil mills, sa# mills, pesticide form!lating !nits and other chemical !nits #here haCards to health are considered to p!t #orkers at risk. *lectronic 9ata Processing -nit or a ;omp!ter -nit is installed in any premises or part thereof, shall not be constr!ed to make it a factory if no man!fact!ring process is being carried on in s!ch premises. DGcc!pierE of a factory means the person #ho has !ltimate control over the affair of the factory. The ct does not permit the employment of #omen and yo!ng in a dangero!s process or operation. ;hildren are defined, D#ho have not attained an age of 1: yearsE, are not permitted to be hired +%ec. 2, /7, and need to have medical fitness certificates if heHshe is has to #ork and age is not confirmed +%ec /9,.

%ection 11 to 2. deal #ith provision of environmental sanitation that protect the #orker from haCardo!s environment. ;leanliness of the #orking place, privy, benches, stairs, #all etc. are e$plained +%ec. 11,. 9isposal of #astes and effl!ents sho!ld be #itho!t any risk +sec. 12,. )entilation, temperat!re inside factory, d!st and f!mes emission, lighting, artificial h!midification, overcro#ding +minim!m of :. c!bic metres per person, are specified +%ecs. 11(17,. There sho!ld be a provision for sae and cool drinking #ater and provision of #ater in the latrine and !rinal. Gne latrine for 2: female #orkers b!t one for 2: male #orkers !p to 1.. and one for :. thereafter. Gne !rinal for :. person !p to :.. men and after that one for every 1.. more. %afety meas!res like fencing of machines, protection of eyes by !se of goggles, preca!tions against fire, dangero!s f!mes, etc. are defined +%ecs 21(3.,. Facilities for #ashing, and sitting, canteens, creche +one for more than 1. #omen, and first aid appliances are provided +%ecs. 32(3B,. Gne 5elfare Gfficer for :.. or more #orkers is s!ggested +%ec. 39,. There is provision for one #eekly holiday, and not more than 3B ho!rs in a #eek an ad!lt #orker sho!ld #ork. There is at least half an ho!r rest after a stretch of : ho!rs of contin!o!s #ork. 8o #omen sho!ld be employed bet#een 7 p.m. and / a.m. +%ecs. :1(//,. 8o person less than 13 years of age sho!ld #ork in the factory. 8o child sho!ld #ork more than 3 ho!rs a day and sho!ld not #ork in the night bet#een 1. p.m. to / a.m. Gne f!ll #age leave sho!ld be given to an ad!lt #orker for every 2. days of #ork and one for every 1: days to the child #orker. 12 #eeks of maternity leave sho!ld be given to a #oman. If an accident occ!rs in any factory ca!sing death or bodily in>!ry or prevents a #orker from #orking for more than 3B ho!rs, the manager m!st immediately send notice to the prescribed a!thority +i.e. <abo!r commissioner,. Follo#ing are the 8otifiable 9iseases@

1. <ead poisoning or its seA!elae 2. <ead tetra(ethyl poisoning or its seA!elae 1. Phosphor!s poisoning or its seA!elae 3. 2erc!ry poisoning or its seA!elae :. 2anganese poisoning or its seA!elae /. rsenic poisoning or its seA!elae 7. Poisoning by nitro!s f!mes B. ;arbon bis!lphite poisoning 9. BenCene and its derivatives poisoning or its seA!elae 1.. ;hrome !lceration or its seA!elae 11. ntha$ 12. %ilicosis 11. Poisoning by halogens or its derivatives of hydrocarbons 13. Pathological manifestation d!e to radi!m, radioactive s!bstances, or I(rays 1:. Primary epitheliomato!s cancer of the skin 1/. To$ic anemia 17. To$ic >a!ndice d!e to poisono!s s!bstances 1B. Gil acne or dermatitis d!e to mineral oil or its derivatives in any form 19. Byssinosis 2.. sbestosis 21. Gcc!pational or contact dermatitis ca!sed by direct contact #ith chemical or paints. It co!ld be primary irritants or allergic sensitisers. 22. 8oise ind!ced hearing loss 21. Berylli!m poisoning 23. ;arbon mono$ide 2:. ;oal minerJs pne!moconiosis 2/. Phasgene poisoning 27. Gcc!pational cancers 2B. Isocyanates piosoning 29. To$ic nepharitis these diseases #ere inseted by act 2. of 19B7. 6o#ever, the ct do not have provision for some important places of #ork like hospitals, fire stations, and other #here serio!s health and safety risks may e$ist.

The process of a!tomation and the ind!strial revol!tion heralded by microelectronics #hich has res!lted in comp!ter based prod!ction methods, increasing !se of robots, lasers, and ne# #elding technologies have totally transformed the #orkplace. ;onseA!ent !pon this change, the role of labo!r inspection has also changed and needs reorientation. Inspectors need additional skills and e$pertise and a ne# approach #hen assessing and eval!ating #orkplace haCards. This has not happened in India. The increasing comple$ity of #orkplace and transfer of technologies d!e to a b!rst in economic activities reA!ires that inspectors sho!ld possess reasonable amo!nt of kno#ledge of occ!pational safety and health. 2any ne# chemicals and processes #hich co!ld be haCardo!s like garment man!fact!ring, and colo!ring, ergonomic problems, sho!ld be incl!ded in notifiable diseases. It is more logical to notify the haCards e$pos!re rather than diseases. From same e$pos!re one can have many diseases or health effects. There is a diffic!lty of making diagnosis of occ!pational diseases beca!se of non(availability of skilled manpo#ers and laboratories in the co!ntry.