Established in September 1974, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory organisation that was created by the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974.
Additionally, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 gave the CPCB the authority and duties that it currently possesses. In addition to providing technical assistance to the Ministry of Environment and Forests about the terms of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, it functions as a field formation.
The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 outline the primary responsibilities of the CPCB, which are to: (i) prevent, control, and mitigate water pollution in order to improve the cleanliness of streams and wells throughout the States; and (ii) to enhance the nation's air quality and to avoid, manage, or lessen air pollution.
Responsibilities of CPCB
Air Quality Monitoring: An essential component of managing air quality is air quality monitoring. In order to satisfy air quality regulations, the National Air Monitoring Programme (NAMP) was created with the goals of assessing the current state and trends of air quality as well as controlling and regulating pollution from industry and other sources. Additionally, it offers historical data on air quality, which is necessary for urban planning and industrial siting.
Water Quality Monitoring: An essential component of managing water quality is monitoring it. Fresh water is a limited resource that is necessary for human survival as well as for use in industry, agriculture, fisheries, and the propagation of wildlife. India is a nation of rivers. Together with a large number of lakes, ponds, and wells that are utilised as the main supply of drinking water even in the absence of treatment, it has 14 major rivers, 44 middle rivers, and 55 minor rivers. The majority of rivers that receive water from the monsoon rains, which fall during just three months of the year, stay dry for the most of the year and frequently carry wastewater discharges from towns and industry, threatening the quality of our limited supply of clean water.