Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
20. Power to Obtain Information.
(1) For the purpose of enabling a State Board
to perform the functions conferred on it by or under this Act, the State Board
or any officer empowered by it in that behalf, may make surveys of any area and
gauge and keep records of the flow or volume and other characteristics of any
stream or well in such area, and may take steps for the measurement and
recording of the rainfall in such area or any part thereof and for the
installation and maintenance for those purposes of gauges or other apparatus
and works connected therewith, and carry out stream surveys and may take such
other steps as may be necessary in order to obtain any information required for
the purposes aforesaid.
(2) A State Board may give directions
requiring any person who in its opinion is abstracting water from any such
stream or well in the area in quantities which are substantial in relation to
the flow or volume of that stream or well or is discharging sewage or trade
effluent into any such steam or well, to give such information as to the
abstraction or the discharge at such times and in such form as may be specified
in the directions.
(3) Without prejudice to the provisions of
sub-section (2), a State Board may, with a view to preventing or controlling
pollution of water, give directions requiring any person in charge of any
establishment where any industry, operation or process or treatment and
disposal system is carried on, to furnish to it information regarding the
construction, installation or operation of such establishment or of any
disposal system or of any extension or addition thereto in such establishment
and such other particulars as may be prescribed.