This Act may be called the Punjab Environmental Protection Act 1997. It extends to the whole of the Punjab. “adverse environmental effect” means impairment of, or damage to the environment and includes–
(a) impairment of, or damage to, human health and safety or to biodiversity or property;
(b) pollution; and
(c) any adverse environmental effect as may be specified in the regulations;
(ii) “agriculture waste” means waste from farm and agricultural activities including poultry, cattle farming, animal husbandry, residues from the use of fertilizers, pesticides and other farm chemicals;
“air pollutant” means any substance that causes pollution of air and includes soot, smoke, dust particles, odor, light, electro-magnetic, radiation, heat, fumes, combustion exhaust, exhaust gases, noxious gases, hazardous substances and radioactive substances;
(iv) “biodiversity” or “biological diversity” means the variability among living organisms from all sources, including inter alia terrestrial, marine and other aquatic ecosystems and the ecological complexes of which they are part; including diversity within species, between species and of eco-systems;
(v) “Council” means the [Punjab] Environmental Protection Council established under section 3;
(vi) “discharge” includes spilling, leaking, pumping, depositing, seeping, releasing, flowing out, pouring, emitting, emptying or dumping;
(vii) “ecosystem” means a dynamic complex of plant, animal and microorganism communities and their non-living environment interacting as a functional unit;
(viii) “effluent” means any material in solid, liquid or gaseous form or combination thereof being discharged from industrial activity or any other source and includes a slurry, suspension or vapour;
(ix) “emission standards” means the permissible standards established by
the [Provincial Agency] for emission of air pollutants and noise and for discharge of effluent and waste;
(x) “environment” means–
(a) air, water and land;
(b) all layers of the atmosphere;
(c) all organic and inorganic matter and living organisms;
(d) the ecosystem and ecological relationships;
(e) buildings, structures, roads, facilities and works;
(f) all social and economic conditions affecting community life; and
(g) the inter-relationships between any of the factors in sub-clauses
(a) to (f);
(xi) “environmental impact assessment” means an environmental study comprising collection of data, prediction of qualitative and quantitative impacts, comparison of alternatives, evaluation of preventive, mitigatory and compensatory measures, formulation of environmental management and training plans and monitoring arrangements, and framing of recommendations and such other components as may be prescribed;
“Environmental Magistrate” means the Magistrate of the First Class appointed under section 24;
(xiii) “Environmental Tribunal” means the Environmental Tribunal constituted under section 20;
[(xiv) * * * * * * * * * * * ]
(xv) “factory” means any premises in which industrial activity is being undertaken;
[(xvi) “Government” means Government of the Punjab;]
[(xvii) “Government Agency” includes–
(a) a department, an attached department or any other office of the Government; and
(b) a development authority, local authority, company or a body corporate established or controlled by the Government;]
(xviii) “hazardous substance” means–
(a) a substance or mixture of substances, other than a pesticide as defined in the Agricultural Pesticides Ordinance, 1971 (II of 1971), which, by reason of its chemical activity or toxic, explosive, flammable, corrosive, radioactive or other characteristics causes, or is likely to cause, directly or in combination with other matters, an adverse environmental effect; and
(b) any substance which may be prescribed as a hazardous substance;
(xix) “hazardous waste” means waste which is or which contains a hazardous substance or which may be prescribed as hazardous substance or which may be prescribed as hazardous waste, and
includes hospital waste and nuclear waste;
10[(xx) * * * * * * * * * * * ]
(xxi) “hospital waste” includes waste medical supplies and materials of all kinds, and waste blood, tissue, organs and other parts of the human and animal bodies, from hospitals, clinics and laboratories;
(xxii) “industrial activity” means any operation or process for manufacturing, making, formulating, synthesising, altering, repairing, ornamenting, finishing, packing or otherwise treating any article or substance with a view to its use, sale, transport, delivery or disposal, or for mining, for oil and gas exploration and development, or for pumping water.
