Appoint green, legal experts on pollution board: Forum to governor Tamilisai Soundararajan

HYDERABAD: The Forum for Good Governance (FGG) has written to governor

Tamilisai Soundararajan

seeking her intervention in the appointment of an environmentalist to the post of chairpersons of the

Telangana State Pollution Control Board

(TSPCB) and for filling up the vacant posts of engineers and scientists in the board.


In the letter, FGG secretary

M Padmanabha Reddy

said, “The PCB’s functions and powers are technical in nature, and the chairperson of the board must have vast knowledge on technical and legal aspects.”

Under Sections of Water Act and Air Act, the eligibility criteria is to be followed for nominating a chairperson for the proper execution of the PCB’s works. “The PCB’s member secretary must have qualifications, knowledge and experience of scientific, engineering and management aspects of pollution control. The incumbent should possess a post-graduate degree in science, engineering and technology and adequate experience of working in the area of environment protection. Persons with scientific, technical or legal background and those from environmental field shall be appointed as board members,” said Reddy.

In 2005, the Supreme Court had issued guidelines stating that PCB chairperson should have a vision. “They must have an understanding of the complexity of modern science and technical sense. They must also understand the law. The chairperson shall fully involve himself in the task of environment construction,” the SC said.

Padmanabha Reddy said that over time, numerous industries, mines and quarries have come up and due to ease of doing business, approvals are granted easily. “These activities require strict monitoring and regular inspection by officers and scientists. Improving environment protection index is a prime duty of the government. All vacant posts should be filled up in PCB,” he said.