Water (Prevention & Control Pollution) Act, 1974 is an Act to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water for the establishment, with a view to carrying out the purposes aforesaid, of Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution, for conferring on and assigning to such Boards powers and functions relating thereto and for matters connected therewith WHEREAS it is expedient to provide for the prevention and control of water pollution and the maintaining or restoring of wholesomeness of water, for the establishment, with a view to carrying out the purposes aforesaid, of Boards for the prevention and control of water pollution and for conferring on and assigning to such Boards powers.

During the tenure as Member Secretary of MPCB (2003-2007), Dr. Dilip Boralkar initiated and implemented several measures. Few important ones are as under:

1. Rain water harvesting system was installed at the office building of the Regional Office, MPCB , Nagpur, as early as in 2004. This was the first of its kind in Nagpur.


2. Recharge of ground water was made compulsory to the cold drink and mineral water beverage industries in Maharashtra. They were directed to recharge double the quantity of ground water used by them in manufacturing.


3. Waste water disposal standards were tightened. BOD limit was fixed at 30 mg/l irrespective of receiving water bodies as against national standards of 100 mg/l for coastal discharge. This was done in consideration of the need for water conservation and pollution prevention and control. This decision was based on scientific studies done at MIDC, Kurkum, Buti Bori and Waluj.


4. Technology was promoted to achieve less than 10 mg/l BOD for sewage treatment. India's first 100 MLD capacity sewage treatment plant based on technology giving less than 10 mg/l of BOD was commissioned at Navi Mumbai in the year 2005-06. This is successfully operating till date.


5. Special action plans were prepared and implemented for CETP capacity increase, operational performance and water recycling as well. This has resulted in reduction of several tons of COD load per day on coastal water.


6. For the first time in India, a thermal power plant was mandated to treat and use municipal/city sewage waste water for its entire requirement of water for power generation. The project is now completed and running successfully. Policy decision is now in offing in this regard for its wide applications.