The H.P. State Pollution Control Board is a nodal agency in the administrative structure of the State Government, for the planning, promotion, co-ordination and overseeing the implementation of environmental programs.

It was about three decades now that the foundation of the current direction on Environment Protection was laid and a legislative base initially formed at the national level to protect the environment from the adverse impacts of rapidly expanding industrial society. The legislative & technological bases have substantially expanded in the subsequent period primarily necessitated by the agglomeration and magnification of the problems resultant to the development for outpacing the capabilities to resolve them.

A beginning made in the mid-seventies encompassing and integrating environmental concerns in a comprehensive national policy proved quite useful with a tangible degree of success in the subsequent years with highly manifest forms of environmental pollution and other significant concerns of immediate nature. This prompted constant policy and legislative reviews and making suitable amendments wherever necessary to protect the nation from the lurking threat of environmental degradation. Over these years a continuous effort has been made by the Board to expand its activities to fulfill the demands of emerging ecological concerns, challenges and new statutes. The principal activities undertaken by H.P. State Pollution Control Board consist of prevention & control of pollution, protection of environment, in the framework of following legislations.

• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974: The Parliament in the 25th year of the Republic promulgated this legislation in pursuance to Clause-1 of Article 252 of the Constitution of India, with the objective of prevention and control of water pollution and maintenance and restoration of wholesomeness of water.  The H.P. State Pollution Control Board was constituted in 1974 under the provisions of this Act.

• Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977: This Act provides for levy of cess on the waterconsumed for specific purposes with a view to dissuade wasteful and indiscreet use of water.  

• Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981: On the analogy of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 the Union Government promulgated another identical legislation which was exclusively meant to deal with the problems of air quality and preservation and maintenance thereof. 

• Environment (Protection) Act, 1986: In order to provide the existing legislation for control of water and air pollution more effectively and to remove the deficiency of these legislation, the Union Government enacted another umbrella legislation in 37th Year of Republic. The prime objective of the legislation was to plug the existing statutory gaps whereby tremendous responsibilities by way of functions have been entrusted to the State Board. The following prominent rules and notifications are significant in context to the role and functions of the H.P. State Pollution Control Board:-

1. Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989.
2. The Hazardous Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989/2000
3. Rules for Manufacture, Use, Import, Export and Storage of Hazardous Microorganism, Genetically Engineered Organisms or Cells, 1989.
4. Noise Pollution (Control and Regulation) Rules, 1999.
5. Bio-medical Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1998.
6. Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999/2003.
7. Municipal Solid Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000.
8. Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000.
9. Batteries (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000.

Other Areas/Acts/Rules Concerning General Public:

The following Rules, which have bearing on, the state of the environment and health of the society are also in existence/enactments. Under these Rules, the H.P. State Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board is not the only agency responsible for the implementation of these Rules but nevertheless these Rules and enactments are of great significance.

They are as under:

• Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991.
• H.P. Non-Biodegradable Garbage (Control) Act, 1995.
• Motor Vehicle Act, 1988.

The State Board has eleven Regional Offices, a Central Laboratory and three Regional Laboratories, which are catering to the diverse requirements in terms of environmental monitoring, surveillance and analysis of complex environmental parameters.