Features of Environmental Protection Act:

• According to the Environmental (Protection) Act, the term environment includes water, air, land and the inter-relationship which exist among and between water, air, land and human beings, other living creatures, micro-organism, plant and property.

The features of the act are:

1.   The central government shall have the power to take all such measure as it deems necessary or useful for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing, controlling and decreasing environmental pollution.

2.  No person carrying on any industry, operation or processes shall discharge or emit any environmental pollutants or permit to do so in excess of such standards as may be prescribed.

3.   No person shall handle or cause to be handled any hazardous substances except in accordance with such procedure and after complying with such safeguards as may be prescribed.

4.  The central government or any officer empowered by it, shall have power to take, for the purpose of analysis, sample of air, water, soil or other substances from any premises, factory etc. as may be prescribed.

5.  Whoever fails to comply with or violate any of the provisions of this Act or the rules made or orders or directions issued there under shall in respect of each such failure or violation be punishable with imprisonment or with fine or with both.