Green court issues norms on who can join pollution control boards

The state govt is to ensure that the person manning the post... is competent and eligible with requisite knowledge or practical experience.

NEW DELHI: State governments will not be allowed to appoint people without technical knowledge of environment and antipollution norms to pollution control boards.

Even people in non-government jobs or academia will not be eligible for the post.

The National Green Tribunal passed a judgment on Wednesday effectively prohibiting the appointment of anyone who did not study environment science or have experience in the area.

“The state government is to ensure that the person manning the post of chairman/member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board is competent and eligible with requisite knowledge or practical experience in the field of environment protection and pollution control, with experience of management,” the judgment read.

“The appointment as a chairman or member secretary should THE NGT ORDER

be of people who are having special knowledge or practical experience or qualification in environment protection studies and not by virtue of their designation in service of the State Government like chief secretary, principal secretary, environment secretary or even politician like former speaker, minister, MLA, all literary persons and non technical persons,” it said.

The nominated chairperson or member secretary should also have a fixed term that cannot be extended. She/ he will not be transferred before the term is completed, the judgment said.

The judgment was passed by a bench headed by NGT chairperson Swatanter Kumar in a case filed against the Uttarakhand pollution control committee. Its ambit was increased to include all states and guidelines issued for all.

According to the petition, appointments of these key officials affect environmental issues seriously as permissions for setting up establishments of various kinds – including industry – are granted by them.

“The state government and all competent authorities shall proceed to make appointment/ nomination of the members of the board… as expeditiously as possible, in any case not later than three months from the date of pronouncement of this judgment, the guidelines stipulated.

The NGT had last year directed the Ministry of Environment and Forests to submit detailed information about members and office bearers of all State Pollution Control Boards on their designation, experience and qualifications. It was found that a number of chairpersons and member secretaries did not have an environment background.