Central Pollution Control Board
The Central Pollution Control Board is the step taken by the government to promote the hygienic level among the Nations and control Air pollution and Water Pollution. The Central Board of Pollution Control Board is established with the purpose to provide technical service to the Ministry of Environment and of Forests. The ministry emphasized the Environmental agendas raised in various International conventions and the data produced by the professionals.
The Ministry of Environment and Forests works under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The CPCB was established under the Water (Prevention and control of pollution) Act, 1974 in the year of 1974, the board also empowered under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 with various powers and functions given under the act of 1981.
The CPCB promotes cleanliness in various rural and urban areas. Particularly in the rural area, it focused on the streams and wells in various states preventing and controlling water pollution. The board also kept the check on the environmental standards, programs, and projects, etc., and the collected information is used to prepare manuals, maintain guidelines, and organizing training.
The Central Pollution Control Board is empowered to make standards for the whole of India by conducting various researches and assessments. It consulates with Zonal offices and the local governments and monitors the water and air quality. Along with the government organizations it also works with the industries of the private sector to control the pollution level in the surroundings of the industry. The Board is established at the central level and manages the work at state and district levels
The CPCB is the highest organization for pollution control and the decision made by the board in the matter of pollution control are binding to other organizations. The CPCB is headed by the career civil servant from the Indian Administrative Service known as the Chairperson. The chairperson is appointed by the Appointments Committee of the Cabinet and the Government of India.
In the year of 1991, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) was established by the Central Government worked with (CPCB) and (NGT) to control the pollution in the capital. The DPCC aims to ensure the improvement in the “Environment quality” preventing the air, water, and noise pollution and conservation of natural resources by the way of sustainable development.
Indian government suppressed the Hazardous Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989 by the notification of the Hazardous Waste (Management, Handling, and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 to handle and manage hazardous waste in an environmentally sound manner, etc. These rules define hazardous as those wastes which by reason of any of its physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or environment, whether alone or when in contact with other wastes or substances, and shall include wastes as specified in Schedules of the Rules.
The rules also made provisions related to the authorisation from the respective State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/ Pollution Control Committee (PCC) for generation, processing, treatment, package, storage, transportation, use, collection, destruction, conversion, offering for sale, transfer or the like of the hazardous waste, packaging, labelling, transportation, treatment, recycling, disposal etc. of hazardous waste.
In the past few years, some major decisions have been made to control pollution. Such decisions include the Harmonisation of domestic legislation with the decision of the Basel Convention, making of hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities in the industries estates and National Centre for cleaner Technology/Production with its sub-centers in different States and Sub-Regional Training Centre at New Delhi, etc.
As per the latest Indian News, around 128 sites contaminated by toxic and hazardous substances. The warning is given to the Indian environment keeping the past records as an example where India miserably failed to deal with chemical accidents. Like, Maharashtra: Bombay docks explosion, 1944, Jharkhand: Chasnala mining disaster, 1975), Bhopal: Union Carbide gas tragedy, 1984.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) constituted a committee to look after the management of hazardous waste. The report submitted by the committee was reviewed in the case of Rajiv Narayan & Anr. Vs Union of India & Ors is the landmark judgment by the National Green Tribunal in regards to the enforcement of the various provisions of the Hazardous and other wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 by the concerned agencies.
The CPCB succeeded in promoting the cleaner technology and demonstration of cleaner production techniques, Providing guidance on the implementation of waste minimization measures and demonstration projects, Promotion of common effluent treatment plants, Promoting/initiating R & D activities for the development of cost-effective technologies in various sectors of SSI and need for their state-level demonstration of these technologies, Environmentally sustainable production capacity for certain SSI sector.
All the decisions regarding the environment in the matters where the board is empowered shall be declared on no-judicial stamp paper obtaining from the authorized person/unit by following the due procedure of law. The board can impose liability upon the unsatisfactory performance of the party based on the assessment report of the estimated assessment.
The work can be seen in the recent example of Bengaluru where the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has made few changes in the action plan to tackle air pollution as the original action plan was rejected by the Central Pollution Control Board in the month of July-August, 2019.
Summing up, the Central Pollution Control Board is made to protect the environment by taking the appropriate steps. It specifically focuses on the Water and Air pollution of the Nation. It has established various sub-committees at regional levels and took various plans to implement the policies in relation to the international conventions and the study and research conducted by the organization. The decision of the Board is binding being the highest authority in the matters of Water and Air pollution. The Central Pollution Control Board also directs the State Pollution Board for making certain changes in the action plan and so
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