Which one of the following has been constituted under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986?

(a) Central Water Commission

(b) Central Ground Water Board

(c) Central Ground Water Authority

(d) National Water Development Agency

Explanation

The Central Ground Water Authority has been constituted under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate and control the development and management of groundwater resources in the country.
Option C is therefore the correct answer.

The other options are not correct:

A) Central Water Commission – It is an attached office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and was established in 1945.
B) Central Ground Water Board – It is a subordinate office of the Ministry of Jal Shakti and was established in 1970.
D) National Water Development Agency – It is an autonomous society established in 1982 under the Ministry of Jal Shakti.

The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 is an umbrella legislation designed to provide a framework for the coordination of central and state authorities established under previous laws.
Key objectives of the Act include implementing decisions made at the 1972 UN Conference on the Human Environment, preventing environmental pollution, and imposing penalties on polluters.
The Act grants the central government power to take measures to protect and improve the environment such as by establishing authorities, setting standards, and regulating industries.
It prohibits the discharge of environmental pollutants above prescribed standards.
The Act enabled the creation of the Central Ground Water Authority to specifically regulate groundwater usage.