Citizen Complaints.

• Citizen complaints to the PCBs are an important mechanism for

triggering compliance monitoring and enforcement response.
• In Maharashtra, for example, between April 2004 and March 2005,
citizens filed 761 complaints with respect to air (306), water (292),
solid waste (31) and noise pollution (132).
• SPCBs adopt different approaches to respond effectively to citizen
complaints. For example, the Andhra Pradesh PCB created in 1995 a
Task Force cell to respond to public complaints, conduct surprise
inspections and require corrective action.
• The complaints are acknowledged, investigated and subsequently
redressed during a hearing at the PCB in the presence of both parties.