With reference to the Supreme Court ruling in Delhi Pollution Control Committee v. Lodhi Property Co. Ltd. (2025), consider the following statements: 1. State Pollution Control Boards can impose compensatory environmental damages under the Water Act (1974) and Air Act (1981) without a criminal conviction. 2. The Supreme Court ruled that environmental boards now have the power to impose punitive criminal penalties on polluting entities. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Question

Accepted Answer

A) 1 only — Statement 1 is correct as the SC empowered boards to levy restitutionary damages under Sections 33A and 31A of the Water and Air Acts. Statement 2 is incorrect because the Court explicitly distinguished between compensatory measures (which boards can enforce) and punitive criminal penalties (which only courts can impose).

SC Empowers PCBs To Levy Restitutionary Environmental Damages

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