LL.B. (Three Years) Sem 6 Environmental Law 2025 Jun Question Paper with Solutions

1. Environment (Protection) Act 1986. Under section 2(b) an environmental pollutant is "any solid, liquid or gaseous substance present in such concentration as may be, or tend to be, injurious to environment". Section 2(c) defines environmental pollution as "the presence in the environment of any environmental pollutant".
2. Water Act 1974, section 2(e). Pollution means "such contamination of water or such alteration of the physical, chemical or biological properties of water" as may create a nuisance or make the water harmful. The harm may be to public health, to legitimate uses such as farming, or to animals, plants and aquatic life.
3. Air Act 1981, section 2(a) and (b). An air pollutant is "any solid, liquid or gaseous substance including noise present in the atmosphere in such concentration as may be or tend to be injurious". The harm may be to human beings, other living creatures, plants, property or environment. Air pollution is its presence in the atmosphere.

All three use words like "may" or "is likely to". So harm need not be proved, only the capacity to harm.

4. Soil or land pollution. Causes: dumping of solid and hazardous waste, industrial sludge, and heavy use of chemicals in farming. Effects: poisoned crops, ruined groundwater, and loss of fertility. Law: there is no separate Act. The waste rules under the EPA 1986 cover it, such as the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules 2016 and the Solid Waste Management Rules 2026.

5. Marine pollution. Causes: oil spills, ship waste, and sewage and plastic reaching the sea. Effects: death of corals and fish, and damaged beaches. Law: the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification under the EPA 1986, and the Water Act where tidal waters are notified.

6. Thermal pollution. Causes: hot water from power plants and factories. Effects: less oxygen in water and death of aquatic life. Law: the Water Act covers it, because heat alters a physical property of water.

7. Radioactive pollution. Causes: nuclear plants, mining of radioactive minerals, and medical and research waste. Effects: cancer and genetic damage. Law: the Atomic Energy Act 1962, outside the ordinary pollution Acts.

8. Plastic pollution. Causes: single-use bags, bottles and packaging. Effects: blocked drains, floods, and harm to cattle and marine life. Law: the Plastic Waste Management Rules 2016, under which listed single-use plastic items were banned from 1 July 2022.

Why the classification matters

The kind of pollution decides the Act, the Act decides the regulator, and the regulator decides what the polluter must do. One factory may need consent under both the Water Act and the Air Act. The kinds also overlap: a single hospital may pollute air, water and land at once.

Conclusion. Pollution is the presence in the environment of any substance or energy capable of harming life, health or property. The EPA 1986, the Water Act 1974 and the Air Act 1981 each define it. It is classified by the medium affected into water, air, noise, soil, marine, thermal, radioactive and plastic pollution. Each kind has its own causes, effects and law, and the Kanpur tanneries, Taj, Noise and Bichhri cases show the courts acting on each.