Environmental Governance & Sustainable Development› Environmental Laws & Institutions
How is the National Green Tribunal (NGT) different from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)?
- 1. The NGT has been established by an Act whereas the CPCB has been created by an executive order of the Government.
- 2. The NGT provides environmental justice and helps reduce the burden of litigation in the higher courts whereas the CPCB promotes cleanliness of streams and wells, and aims to improve the quality of air in the country
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer b.
Only statement 2 is correct, so the answer is (b). Both bodies are statutory — the CPCB was created by the Water Act, 1974, not by an executive order — but their functions do differ as described. The National Green Tribunal was set up by the National Green Tribunal Act, 2010, giving it jurisdiction over civil cases involving a substantial question relating to the environment under seven scheduled laws, with disposal aimed at six months and appeals lying to the Supreme Court. The Central Pollution Control Board was constituted in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and later given functions under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 — so it too is a statutory body, which makes statement 1 wrong. Statement 2 correctly captures the division of labour: the NGT is an adjudicatory forum that delivers speedy environmental justice and takes load off the High Courts and Supreme Court, while the CPCB is a regulatory and technical body that promotes cleanliness of streams and wells and works to improve air quality, setting standards and monitoring compliance.
Prepared with PrepKar AI and checked; it may contain errors.