What is CPCB? Central Pollution Control Board, role and powers
CPCB is the Central Pollution Control Board, India's national pollution regulator, set up in 1974 under the Water Act. Its role, functions and SPCBs.
What is CPCB?
CPCB is the Central Pollution Control Board, India's national pollution regulator under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It was constituted in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (CPCB introduction). It lays down standards for the quality of air and coordinates the state pollution control boards (Air Act). But consent for an individual industry comes from the state board, not from CPCB (Water Act).
CPCB full form and status
CPCB stands for Central Pollution Control Board. The Hindi name is केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड. "Kendriya Pradushan Niyantran Board" is a transliteration, and the official Hindi page does not print that Latin spelling (CPCB Hindi site). The head office is Parivesh Bhawan, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi-110032 (contact page). India has no body called the National Pollution Control Board: CPCB is the national-level board.
When CPCB was established
CPCB was established as a statutory organisation in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (CPCB introduction). Section 3 of the Air Act, 1981 makes the same board the Central Board for air (Air Act). It also provides technical services to the Ministry under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (CPCB introduction).
A 1988 amendment, in force from 29 September 1988, renamed the "Central Board for the Prevention and Control of Water Pollution" as the Central Pollution Control Board (Water Act).
Functions of the Central Pollution Control Board
CPCB has two main objectives: clean streams and wells, and better air quality across the country (CPCB introduction). Section 16 of the Water Act and section 16 of the Air Act list what CPCB does (Water Act, Air Act). CPCB advises the Centre, coordinates state boards, settles disputes, gives technical help and sponsors research. It lays down standards for streams and wells, with the state government, and for air quality. It also runs nation-wide programmes, training and data publication, including codes on sewage and effluents.
How CPCB works with SPCBs and PCCs
Under section 18 of the Water Act, every state board is bound by written directions from CPCB or the state government. If those directions conflict, the Central Government decides. If a state board ignores CPCB's directions in a grave emergency, the Centre can order CPCB to do that board's job for a set area and period (Water Act).
CPCB doesn't issue state consents. Section 25 of the Water Act says no one may establish an industry, or a new outlet or discharge, without the previous consent of the State Board (Water Act). Section 21 of the Air Act, as substituted in 2023, requires previous State Board consent before anyone establishes or operates an industrial plant in an air pollution control area. The Centre may, in consultation with CPCB, exempt categories of plants (Jan Vishwas Act, 2023).
Union territories have no state board. Pollution Control Committees do that work, after CPCB delegated its Union Territory powers to the UT administrations (CPCB functions). The directory as on 1 April 2026 lists 29 state boards (Chhattisgarh's is the Environment Conservation Board) and 6 PCCs. It omits the Ladakh committee constituted on 25 March 2021 (SPCBs and PCCs, Ladakh administration).
CPCB chairman and member secretary
The home page, last updated 20 October 2026, names Sh. Amandeep Garg, IAS, as chairman (CPCB home page, organisation chart). The member secretary there, and on the head office page updated 25 September 2026, is Sh. Prasoon Gargava (head office). The contact page of 13 August 2026 still names Uday Chaudhari, and the Message from Chairman page is signed by a former chairman. Names change, so check the CPCB home page for the current office holders.
Role of CPCB for industry
The 12 February 2025 report sorts 419 sectors by pollution index: Red (80 and above), Orange (55 to under 80), Green (25 to under 55), White (under 25) and Blue (9 essential environmental services) (categorisation). G.S.R. 761(E) and G.S.R. 762(E) of 17 October 2025 exempt 86 white-category sectors from consent (G.S.R. 761(E), G.S.R. 762(E)). Read the gazette before you treat a unit as exempt.
It runs EPR portals for plastic packaging, e-waste, batteries, tyres, used oil and end-of-life vehicles (EPR portals). Under the Hazardous and Other Wastes Rules, 2016, it coordinates the SPCBs and approves new ways to use hazardous waste under Rule 9, after trial runs (HOWM Rules). The National Air Quality Monitoring Programme had 966 stations in 419 cities and towns, in 28 states and 7 union territories, as on 19 November 2024 (about NAMP). CPCB also publishes a daily Air Quality Index bulletin (daily bulletin).
To check a CPCB rule on a specific waste or substance, ask RegAffairs AI and open the cited source documents.