Strengthening of SPCBs and PCCs

Presently there are 25 SPCBs (State Pollution Control Boards) and 6 PCCs (Pollution Control Committees) in the country. Functions of SPCBs/PCCs are enlisted under Section (17) of the Water and Air Act. In order to have effective implementation of these functions, SPCBs/PCCs need proper set up in terms of financial resources, adequate manpower, good laboratory back-up and trained manpower. Some of the achievements of SPCBs are as follows:

• Establishment of Laboratory facilities
• Identification of polluting industries
• Assessment of water and air pollution
• Industries persuaded to set up requisite pollution control facilities
• Performance studies on pollution control facilities
• Consent mechanism within the state

In addition to the implementation of Water and Air Act, SPCBs and PCCs have to undertake many activities under the following important legislations:

• Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989 (amended in 2000)
• Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rule, 1989 (amended in 2000)
• Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules. 1998
• Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999
• Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000

After reviewing the activities to be performed by SPCBs/PCCs under above mentioned Rules, it has been proposed that SPCBs/PCCs may set up a separate group or a cell to handle the issue relating to new rules. Each SPCB should set up the cell to deal specific rules, in particular,

• Bio-medical Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998
• Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999
• Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000

It has been calculated that total funds required for effective implementation of these rules by all the SPCBs and PCCs will require a sum of Rs. 27.70 million.