law: Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  20. Power to Obtain Information.
  
  (1) For the purpose of enabling a State Board
  
  to perform the functions conferred on it by or under this Act, the State Board
  
  or any officer empowered by it in that behalf, may make surveys of any area and
  
  gauge and keep records of the flow or volume and other characteristics of any
  
  stream or well in such area, and may take steps for the measurement and
  
  recording of the rainfall in such area or any part thereof and for the
  
  installation and maintenance for those purposes of gauges or other apparatus
  
  and works connected therewith, and carry out stream surveys and may take such
  
  other steps as may be necessary in order to obtain any information required for
  
  the purposes aforesaid.
  (2) A State Board may give directions
  
  requiring any person who in its opinion is abstracting water from any such
  
  stream or well in the area in quantities which are substantial in relation to
  
  the flow or volume of that stream or well or is discharging sewage or trade
  
  effluent into any such steam or well, to give such information as to the
  
  abstraction or the discharge at such times and in such form as may be specified
  
  in the directions.
  (3) Without prejudice to the provisions of
  
  sub-section (2), a State Board may, with a view to preventing or controlling
  
  pollution of water, give directions requiring any person in charge of any
  
  establishment where any industry, operation or process or treatment and
  
  disposal system is carried on, to furnish to it information regarding the
  
  construction, installation or operation of such establishment or of any
  
  disposal system or of any extension or addition thereto in such establishment
  
  and such other particulars as may be prescribed.