Arrange the following statutory Acts and instruments in chronological order of enactment (earliest first):

Question

Arrange the following statutory Acts and instruments in chronological order of enactment (earliest first):

I. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

II. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

III. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981

IV. Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006

Choose the correct sequence:

1. A. II-III-I-IV (Correct answer)
2. B. II-I-III-IV
3. C. III-II-I-IV
4. D. I-II-III-IV

Correct Answer

Option A — II-III-I-IV

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is II-III-I-IV.

Key Points

• Ordering the four instruments by year of enactment:
  • II. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act - 1974
  • III. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act - 1981
  • I. Environment (Protection) Act - 1986
  • IV. Environmental Impact Assessment Notification - 2006
• The sequence is therefore II-III-I-IV. Water first is the discriminator, and it eliminates two options outright.

Additional Information

• The order reflects how Indian environmental law actually developed: medium-specific statutes first (water, then air), then a general umbrella Act, and finally subordinate legislation made under that umbrella.
• The Water Act came first partly for constitutional reasons — it was enacted under Article 252 with the consent of State legislatures, water being a State subject, whereas the Air Act and EPA used the Article 253 treaty-implementation route.
• The EIA Notification is the odd one out in kind: the other three are Acts of Parliament, while it is a notification issued under the EPA 1986.
• A useful spine for this whole topic: 1972 Stockholm → 1974 Water → 1981 Air → 1984 Bhopal → 1986 EPA → 1992 Rio → 2006 EIA Notification → 2010 NGT Act.