Focus on execution

Govt does not need to tweak laws to reduce pollution

The Union government is planning to bring in two crucial changes to the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986. The first amendment proposed is increasing the level of fines from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1 crore. The second one is more important: The fine can be imposed without going through a judicial process prescribed in the current law and a designated officer would be the final authority to decide the money that needs to be recovered from the polluting entity. On the face of it, these changes will help officials enforce pollution control more effectively and swiftly, as the idea