The lakes and water bodies of India are directly influenced by a number of legal and regulatory frameworks. The acts that directly concern water pollution (both surface and underground) are the Water Act (1974), the Water Cess Act (1977 and1988), and the Environment (Protection) Act or EPA (1986).

National Legislation

• The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
• The Indian Fisheries Act, 1897
• The Indian Forest Act, 1927
• The Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf, Exclusive Economic Zone
• The Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act, 1977
• Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Act, 1974
• The Maritime Zones Of India (Regulation Of Fishing By Foreign Vessels)
• Forest Conservation Act , 1980
• The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986
• Coastal Zone Regulation (Crz) Notification
• Wildlife (Protection) Amendment Act, 1999
• National Conservation Strategies On Environment & Development
• The Biological Diversity Act , 2002
• Convention On Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971
• Convention On Biological Diversity, June 1992
• Bonn Convention On The Conservation Of Migratory Species Of Wild Animals
• International Convention For The Protection Of Birds
• National water policy, 2002
• National Policy for Hydro Power Development
• Convention on Conservation of Migratory

State (A.P) Legislations

The Andhra government’s ‘Water, Land, Trees Act’ empowers state agencies to take steps to protect water bodies and to prevent conversion. The act also requires measures to permanently demarcate the boundaries of the water bodies and to “evict and prevent encroachments

The Andhra Pradesh Regularisation of the Unauthorised Constructions in Municipal Corporations, Municipalities and Urban Development Authorities Act, 2003 denies regularisation of unauthorised constructions on lakes and tank beds

The Wetlands (Management and Conservation) Rules, 2010 issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) exclusively for the protection of urban water bodies including lakes, reservoirs, and tanks- man made or artificial. The legislation bans prohibited activities which includes conversion of wetlands for other uses, setting up and expanding industries and dumping untreated waste water and any other activity that will have negative impact on the water bodies.

The National Lake Conservation Programme developed in 2001 focuses on the development of the national level policies and actions for the urban lakes. The main objectives of the programme includes prevention of pollution of the waterbody from the point and non point sources, catchment treatment, desilting and de-weedingg of the waterbodies, research of the flora and fauna related to the waterbody and also other activities related to the lake. The policy also takes care of the interaction of the human population and the lake.

Under the NLCP, the Central and State governments share the costs in the ratio of 70:30

AP Government orders and ACTS

• GO No. 111 Protection Of Catchment Areas Of Himayat Sagar & Osman Sagar Lakes (08-03-1996)
• GO No. 261 Municipal Administration & Urban Department - Regulating Developments In The Downstream Area (16-07-2007)
• GO No. 439 Urban Development Authority (Hyderabad) Rules, 1977 - Amendments (13-06-2007)