Background
 
  Energy Efficiency
 
  Pollution Control
  System
Present Environmental Standards
Legal Provisions
Common Pollution Control System
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Legal Provisions

CPCB has responsibility to lay down standards, planning and execution of nation wide programmes for the prevention, control or abatement of water and air pollution, and ensure compliance with the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. State pollution control boards have responsibility to ensure compliance with the provisions of the relevant Acts, lay down or modify effluent and emission standards, and ensure legal action against defaulters.
 
Where it is apprehended by the Board that emission of any air pollutant, in excess of the standards laid down by the State Board under clause (g) of section 17, is likely to occur by reason of any person operating an industrial plant or otherwise in any air pollution control area, the Board may make an application to a court, not inferior to that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or a Judicial Magistrate of the first class for restraining such person from emitting such air pollutant. On receipt of the application, the court may make such order as it deems fit. Where under section (2), the court makes an order restraining any person from discharging or causing or permitting to be discharged the emission of any air pollutant, it may, in that order, (i) direct such person to desist from taking such action as is likely to cause emission, (ii) authorize the Board to implement the direction in such manner as may be specified by the court.
 
Any person aggrieved by an order made by the State Board under the act may, within thirty day from the date on which the order is communicated to him, prefer an appeal to Appellate Authority as the State Government may think fit to constitute: provided that the Appellate Authority may entertain the appeal after the expiry of the said period of thirty days if such authority is satisfied that the appellant was prevented by sufficient cause from the filing the appeal in time.
 
(Note: ‘Appellant Authority’ means an Appellate Authority constituted by the Central Government under sub-section (l) of section 31 of the act. ‘Appellant’ means any person aggrieved by and appealing against an order made by the Board).

The Appellant Authority shall consist of a single person or three persons as the State Government may think fit to be appointed by the State Government. The form and manner in which an appeal may be preferred under sub section (l), the fees payable for such appeal and the procedure to be followed by the Appellate Authority shall be such as may be prescribed. On receipt of an appeal, the Appellant Authority shall, after giving an appellant and State Board an opportunity of being heard, dispose off the appeal as expeditiously as possible.

No court shall take cognizance of any offence under this Act except on a complaint made by:

(i) the Central Government or any authority or officer authorized in this behalf by that Government, or

(ii) any person who has given notice of not less that sixty days in the manner prescribed, of the alleged offence and of his intention to make complaint, to the Central Government or the authority or officer authorized as aforesaid.