Paper: GS – III, Subject: Environment and Ecology, Topic: Pollution, Issue: Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025.
Context:
The new Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025, notified by the Environment Ministry under the Environment Protection Act, offering India its first legal framework to scientifically identify, assess, and clean up chemically contaminated sites.
Key Takeaways:
About Environment Protection (Management of Contaminated Sites) Rules, 2025: What It Is?
- A comprehensive legal framework under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to manage, assess, and remediate chemically contaminated sites across India.
- Ministry: Notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
- Objective: To establish a time-bound, legally binding mechanism for the identification, assessment, and remediation of contaminated sites caused by hazardous chemical and waste dumping, in line with the “Polluter Pays” principle and environmental health protection.
What is Contaminated Site?
- Sites where hazardous or chemical waste was dumped historically, causing long-term pollution of soil, water, or air.
- These include abandoned landfills, chemical spill zones, illegal waste sites, and defunct industrial areas.
| Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: The EPA, 1986 was passed by the Parliament in the wake of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, highlighting the urgent need for a comprehensive law to protect the environment and public health. EPA enacted under Article 253 of the Constitution (empowers the Parliament to enact laws for implementing international agreements) to fulfill international commitments made at the 1972 Stockholm Conference. The Act empowers the Central Government to prevent, control, and respond to environmental pollution. It allows the Centre to set standards, regulate emissions, shut down polluting industries, and control essential services. Article 48A directs the State to protect the environment, forests, and wildlife, while Article 51A makes it the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment. |
Key Features of the Environment Protection Rules:
Environmental Remediation Rules:
The new rules provide a long-needed legal framework to identify, assess, and remediate chemically contaminated sites in India, but gaps remain such as exclusions for certain wastes and the absence of strict timelines for clean-up completion.
La Excellence IAS Academy, the best IAS coaching in Hyderabad, known for delivering quality content and conceptual clarity for UPSC 2025 preparation.
FOLLOW US ON:
◉ YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@CivilsPrepTeam
◉ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LaExcellenceIAS
◉ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/laexcellenceiasacademy/
GET IN TOUCH:
Contact us at info@laex.in, https://laex.in/contact-us/
or Call us @ +91 9052 29 2929, +91 9052 99 2929, +91 9154 24 2140
OUR BRANCHES:
Head Office: H No: 1-10-225A, Beside AEVA Fertility Center, Ashok Nagar Extension, VV Giri Nagar, Ashok Nagar, Hyderabad, 500020
Madhapur: Flat no: 301, survey no 58-60, Guttala begumpet Madhapur metro pillar: 1524, Rangareddy Hyderabad, Telangana 500081
Bangalore: Plot No: 99, 2nd floor, 80 Feet Road, Beside Poorvika Mobiles, Chandra Layout, Attiguppe, Near Vijaya Nagara, Bengaluru, 560040
