Rajya Sabha clears motion to extend water pollution law to Manipur

Yadav said that according to Article 252, Parliament can legislate for a state if two or more states consent. In the case of the 2024 amendment, he said that Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh had consented and since then, other states had also adopted the amendment. The amendment decriminalised and rationalised certain minor offences relating to water pollution to “enhance trust-based governance for ease of living and doing business”, the resolution said.

During the discussion on the resolution, Opposition MPs, including TMC member Sushmita Dev and DMK member

P Wilson, demanded that Assembly elections be held in Manipur. “How long will the state Assembly be in suspension and Parliament will usurp the role of the Assembly,” Wilson asked. He also said the government should consider decongesting Delhi by shifting some Ministries and other Central authorities out of the national Capital. He also suggested that the Parliament’s Winter Session should not be held during the “peak smog” season.

Congress MP Neeraj Dangi said, “Law and order has totally collapsed in Manipur… the Centre did not pay attention to it. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi went there and met the people. The PM should have gone there, but for over two years, he did not go to Manipur.” “Recently, he (PM Narendra Modi) visited Manipur in September 2025… he went there for votes,” he alleged.

Dangi also said the amendments weaken the penalty provisions in the Act.

BRS’ K R Suresh Reddy sought the revival of the Manipur Assembly. He asked the Centre to focus on filling vacancies in the pollution control boards, including Manipur.

V Shivadasan of CPI(M) pointed out that the Centre is not taking initiative to hold elections in Manipur. “The government must explain why it is trying to weaken the states, when the ecology of Manipur needs stronger protection … in Manipur, there is no Assembly, a governor was appointed, we all know who is the real administrator under the President’s rule,” he said. Sandosh Kumar of the CPI also sought restoration of Manipur Assembly.

BJP member Sulata Deo too demanded that elections be held in the state, which has seen ethnic violence between communities since 2023. AAP MPs Raghav Chadha and Swati Maliwal raised concerns about water pollution in their states, Punjab and Delhi, respectively.

Replying to the discussion, Yadav acknowledged the air pollution crisis in Delhi, saying, “Delhi’s environment is a cause of concern for us.” He said he had held six meetings over the issue since August 9.

He said Union Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and he had met the Agriculture Ministers of Haryana, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, and the instances of stubble burning had reduced by 90% from 2016.

“I understand there is more to be done on this issue, but there has been a reduction in the number of days with 400-plus AQI,” he said.