State Pollution Control Board
Also called: SPCB · Topic: Statutory, Regulatory and Quasi-judicial Bodies · NCERT: Beyond NCERT
Meaning
A State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) is a state-level statutory body. Statutory means it is set up under a law made by Parliament, not under the Constitution. Every state has one under the Water Act 1974, and its powers on air come from the Air Act 1981. It checks the levels of pollution in air and water. It gives or refuses "consent", which is official permission an industry needs before it starts and while it keeps running. It also enforces pollution norms on factories and other polluters. It works under the guidance of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The SPCBs are the bodies that act on the ground, so national rules work only as well as these boards do.
Example
In Delhi-NCR, the CPCB and the SPCBs set up continuous air-quality monitoring stations together with the IMD. In 2026, 111 of these stations were working in the region. The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) has also directed the SPCBs and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to deal with citizens' air-quality complaints faster.
Don't confuse with
- Central Pollution Control Board: the national body, formed in 1974. It sets standards and coordinates the SPCBs. The SPCBs carry out the work within each state.
- Commission for Air Quality Management: a separate statutory body under a 2021 Act. Its power is exclusive and covers only the NCR and nearby areas. It can give directions to SPCBs on matters affecting NCR air.