law: Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  24. Prohibition on Use of Stream or Well for Disposal of Polluting Matter Etc.
  
  (1) Subject to the provisions of this section, -
  (a) no person shall
  
  knowingly cause or permit any poisonous, noxious or polluting matter determined
  
  in accordance with such standards as may be laid down by the State Board to
  
  enter (whether directly or indirectly) into any stream or well or sewer or on
  
  land; or
  (b) no person shall
  
  knowingly cause or permit to enter into any stream any other matter which may
  
  tend, either directly or in combination with similar matters, to impede the
  
  proper flow of the water of the stream in a manner leading or likely to lead to
  
  a substantial aggravation of pollution due to other causes or of its
  
  consequence.
  (2) A person shall not be guilty of an offence
  
  under sub-section (1), by reason only of having done or caused to be done any
  
  of the following acts, namely :-
  (a) constructing,
  
  improving or maintaining in or across or on the bank or bed of any stream any
  
  building, bridge, weir, dam, sluice, dock, pier, drain or sewer or other
  
  permanent works which he has a right to construct, improve or maintain;
  (b) depositing any
  
  materials on the bank or in the bed of any stream for the purpose of reclaiming
  
  land or for supporting, repairing or protecting the bank or bed of such stream
  
  provided such materials are not capable of polluting such stream;
  (c) putting into any
  
  stream any sand or gravel or other natural deposit which has flowed from or
  
  been deposited by the current of such stream;
  (d) causing or permitting, with the consent of the State Board, the deposit
  
  accumulated in a well, pond or reservoir to enter into any stream.
  (3) The State Government may, after
  
  consultation with, or on the recommendation of, the State Board, exempt, by
  
  notification in the Official Gazette, any person from the operation of
  
  sub-section (1) subject to such conditions, if any, as may be specified in the
  
  notification and any condition so specified may by a like notification be
  
  altered, varied or amended.