RTI for UPPCB – Factory Pollution, Ganga Contamination & Environmental Complaints in UP

Uttar Pradesh is India's most populous state and one of its most industrialised. From the tanneries of Kanpur along the Ganga to the brass foundries of Moradabad, the glass factories of Firozabad, the footwear units of Agra, and the sprawling manufacturing zones of Noida and Greater Noida, UP hosts thousands of industries that interact with air, water, and land every day. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) is the state-level regulatory authority responsible for preventing, controlling, and reducing industrial pollution across all these areas.

UPPCB issues Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) to industries under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. It monitors ambient air and water quality, inspects factories, issues show-cause notices, directs closure of non-compliant units, and levies environmental penalties. UPPCB also plays a central role in the Namami Gange programme — the national mission to clean the Ganga — by monitoring industrial effluent discharged into the river and its tributaries across UP cities like Kanpur, Prayagraj, Varanasi, and Haridwar border areas.

For residents, farmers, journalists, environmental advocates, and businesses dealing with UPPCB, the Right to Information Act, 2005 is the most direct legal tool to access the records that UPPCB holds. UPPCB is a public authority under Section 2(h) of the RTI Act. It is legally obligated to respond to RTI applications, provide documents it holds, and explain the regulatory decisions it has made.

What You Can Request Through RTI

RTI applications to UPPCB can be used to obtain a wide range of environmental records:

Factory Consent Orders (CTE/CTO)

The CTE and CTO are the foundational regulatory permissions for any industry operating in UP. Through RTI you can obtain:

• Certified copies of the CTE and CTO issued to a named factory, including the consent category (Red, Orange, or Green), the validity period, and all conditions imposed (effluent standards, emission limits, green belt requirements, treated effluent disposal conditions)
• Confirmation of whether the CTO of a specific factory is currently valid or has lapsed, and whether a renewal application has been filed
• Details of any expansion consent granted or refused to an industry that has sought to increase its production capacity

Pollution Complaint Action-Taken Reports

When a citizen or a government body lodges a pollution complaint against an industry, UPPCB is required to investigate and record its findings. RTI allows you to obtain:

• The action-taken report (ATR) on a specific complaint, including whether an inspection was carried out, what the inspection found, and what regulatory action was initiated
• Copies of any show-cause notices issued following a complaint, the industry's reply, and UPPCB's final order on the matter
• Records of complaint closure — the basis on which UPPCB closed a complaint as resolved or unresolved

Air and Water Quality Monitoring Data

UPPCB maintains extensive monitoring data across industrial zones and river stretches in UP:

• Ambient air quality data (PM10, PM2.5, SO₂, NO₂) recorded at monitoring stations in industrial clusters such as Kanpur, Moradabad, Agra, and Noida
• Stack emission data submitted to UPPCB by industries under their CTO conditions, and whether reported values were within prescribed standards
• River water quality data for the Ganga, Yamuna, Gomti, Hindon, Ramganga, Kali, and other water bodies — including BOD, COD, dissolved oxygen, total coliform, and heavy metal parameters
• Effluent quality data from common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) operating in industrial clusters such as the Kanpur leather tannery cluster and the Moradabad electroplating cluster

Ganga Pollution and Namami Gange Data

The Ganga passes through some of UP's most industrialised cities. UPPCB monitoring data related to the Ganga is particularly sought after by researchers, NGOs, and affected communities:

• Ganga water quality monitoring results at designated ghats and monitoring points in Kanpur, Allahabad (Prayagraj), Varanasi, and other UP towns — BOD, COD, dissolved oxygen, faecal coliform, and pH levels
• Records of industrial effluent pipelines or drains discharging into the Ganga or its tributaries, and the inspection history of those discharge points
• Status of Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) installed by industries on the Ganga riverfront as directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) or UPPCB — whether the ETP is functional, what effluent quality it achieves, and whether it meets prescribed standards
• UPPCB's compliance reports submitted to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) or the NGT in connection with Ganga pollution reduction targets

Industrial Effluent and Drain Discharge Records

• Details of industries discharging treated or untreated effluent into a named drain or water body in your area
• CETP compliance records — whether industries connected to a common treatment plant are paying their charges, submitting effluent quality data, and meeting standards
• Records of zero liquid discharge (ZLD) compliance for industries in sectors (such as textiles, leather, paper) where ZLD has been mandated

Penalties, Closure Orders, and Enforcement Records

RTI is highly effective for tracking enforcement action by UPPCB:

• Copies of closure directions issued to an industrial unit under Section 33A of the Water Act, 1974 or Section 31A of the Air Act, 1981
• Penalty orders issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, and records of whether the penalty was paid by the industry
• Details of industries sealed or shut down by UPPCB in a given district or industrial zone during a specified period
• Records of industries that were given time to comply with directions but failed to do so, and subsequent action taken by UPPCB

Environmental Impact Assessment and Related Documents

For large projects that require Environmental Clearance:

• UPPCB's No Objection Certificate (NOC) issued or withheld in connection with an EIA application for a project in your area
• UPPCB's submissions or technical comments to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Uttar Pradesh, in respect of a specific project

How to File RTI with UPPCB

Step 1 — Identify the Right Office

UPPCB is headquartered in Lucknow, but it operates through regional offices located across the state. For factory-specific or complaint-specific information, filing your RTI with the regional office responsible for the district where the factory is located will typically yield faster and more targeted responses than filing with the Lucknow headquarters.

Key UPPCB regional offices cover:

• Lucknow — headquarters, and the nodal office for state-level data and Lucknow division
• Kanpur — industrial corridor, tannery cluster, Ganga monitoring on the Kanpur stretch
• Agra — footwear cluster, Yamuna and Agra environs
• Noida / Ghaziabad — NCR industrial zone, Hindon river pollution
• Varanasi — Ganga ghats, eastern UP industries
• Prayagraj — Ganga-Yamuna confluence zone
• Moradabad — brass and metal cluster
• Firozabad — glass and bangle industries

If you are unsure which regional office covers your district, file with the UPPCB headquarters in Lucknow, mentioning the district clearly in your application.

Step 2 — Draft Your Application with Specific Details

The more specific your application, the better the response you will receive. Before drafting, note down:

• The full registered name of the factory or industry you are asking about
• Its address or survey number in UP
• The consent or registration number if available
• The date range for which you want monitoring data, inspection reports, or enforcement records
• The complaint number if you are following up on a specific complaint

Avoid vague requests such as "provide all information about pollution in my area." Frame each point as a request for a specific document or data set.

Step 3 — File Online via rtionline.gov.in

UPPCB accepts RTI applications filed through the central RTI online portal at rtionline.gov.in:

1. Register or log in at rtionline.gov.in
2. Select Ministry/Department: navigate to Uttar Pradesh state departments and choose Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB)
3. Type your application or paste the text of your questions
4. Pay the ₹10 fee online by debit card, credit card, or net banking
5. BPL cardholders select the fee exemption option and attach a scanned copy of their BPL card
6. Note the registration number for tracking

Step 4 — File by Post to the Regional or HQ Office

If you prefer to file by post, send your typed and signed application by speed post or registered post to the SPIO at the relevant UPPCB regional office, or to the headquarters:

The Public Information Officer, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB), Pragati Kendra, Vibhuti Khand, Gomti Nagar, Lucknow – 226 010, Uttar Pradesh

Enclose an Indian Postal Order (IPO) of ₹10 drawn in favour of the Accounts Officer, UPPCB or as directed on the UPPCB website. Keep your speed post receipt carefully.

Fee and Response Timeline

The application fee is ₹10, payable by IPO, demand draft, or online payment. The fee is free for BPL cardholders — attach a self-attested copy of your BPL card with the application.

UPPCB must respond within 30 days of receipt of your application under Section 7(1) of the RTI Act, 2005. If the matter directly involves a threat to life or liberty — for example, ongoing discharge of toxic effluent into your community's drinking water source — the response is due within 48 hours under the proviso to Section 7(1).

First Appeal: Section 19(1)

If UPPCB does not respond within 30 days, or the response is incomplete, incorrect, or evasive, you can file a First Appeal under Section 19(1) of the RTI Act with the First Appellate Authority (FAA) designated within UPPCB.

• The First Appeal must be filed within 30 days of the date of the SPIO's decision or the expiry of the 30-day response period, whichever is applicable
• No fee is payable for a First Appeal
• Address the First Appeal to the FAA at the same UPPCB office where you filed your RTI
• State clearly why the SPIO's response was inadequate or why no response was received

Second Appeal to UPIC: Section 19(3)

If the FAA also fails to respond adequately, you can escalate to the Uttar Pradesh Information Commission (UPIC) — the state information commission for Uttar Pradesh.

• File the Second Appeal under Section 19(3) within 90 days of the FAA's decision or the date by which the FAA should have responded
• No fee is payable for a Second Appeal
• The UPIC can direct UPPCB to provide the information, impose a penalty on the errant SPIO, and award compensation to the applicant in appropriate cases

The correct appeal chain for UPPCB is:

PIO, UPPCB (30-day response)
        ↓ (no response / unsatisfactory)
First Appellate Authority, UPPCB — Section 19(1)
        ↓ (still unsatisfactory)
Uttar Pradesh Information Commission (UPIC) — Section 19(3)

UPPCB is a Uttar Pradesh state public authority. Second appeals go to the UPIC, not the Central Information Commission (CIC). The CIC handles second appeals only for central government bodies. Filing a second appeal with the CIC against UPPCB would be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.

Penalty for Non-Compliance: Section 20

If the UPIC finds that the SPIO refused to receive an application, withheld information without reasonable cause, gave incorrect information, or destroyed information to obstruct access, the UPIC can impose a personal penalty of ₹250 per day of delay, subject to a maximum of ₹25,000, on the errant SPIO under Section 20 of the RTI Act.

Practical Tips for Effective RTI Applications

Name the Factory Specifically

UPPCB deals with thousands of industrial units across UP. Always name the factory precisely — use its registered company name, not just a colloquial name. Include the address or survey number and the district. If you know the consent number or the UPPCB registration number of the unit, include it — this eliminates any ambiguity and makes it harder for UPPCB to claim it cannot identify the unit.

Mention Your Complaint Number

If you have previously filed a pollution complaint with UPPCB (by phone, email, letter, or through any citizen portal), always quote the complaint number or acknowledgement number in your RTI. Asking for an "action-taken report on Complaint No. XXXXX" is far more effective than a general request about a factory.

Ask for CPCB Direction Compliance Status

For highly polluting industries — particularly in the Kanpur tannery cluster, the Moradabad brass cluster, and Ganga-front industries — the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the National Green Tribunal (NGT) have issued specific directions to UPPCB and to individual industries. You can ask UPPCB through RTI for the status of compliance with CPCB/NGT directions by a named industry. This is particularly effective for Ganga-related pollution matters.

Specify the Time Period

RTI responses for monitoring data and inspection reports are much more useful when you specify a clear date range. Ask for data "for the period January 2024 to December 2025" rather than open-ended requests. This also prevents UPPCB from claiming the request is too broad.

Kanpur Tanneries and Ganga Pollution

Kanpur's leather tannery cluster is one of the most documented sources of Ganga pollution in India. Chromium-laden effluent from hundreds of tanneries has been the subject of NGT orders, CPCB directions, and UPPCB enforcement actions for decades. If you are investigating Ganga pollution related to Kanpur tanneries, ask UPPCB specifically for: the number of tanneries with valid CTO, the number operating without valid CTO, CETP performance data, chromium levels in drain and river water at Jajmau, and the list of tanneries against which closure/penalty orders have been issued.

Noida and Greater Noida Industrial Zones

The UPPCB regional office for the NCR area handles industries in Noida, Greater Noida, and Ghaziabad. The Hindon river, which passes through this zone, has been severely polluted by industrial and domestic discharge. RTI with the Noida regional office of UPPCB can yield inspection records, industrial discharge monitoring data, and enforcement history for factories in the NCR belt.

Cross-Reference with CPCB Data

For industries that are on the CPCB's list of Grossly Polluting Industries (GPIs) or Severely Polluted Areas, CPCB also holds compliance data. Depending on what information you need, you may want to file parallel RTI applications — one with UPPCB (state regulator) and one with CPCB (central regulator at rtionline.gov.in) — for the most complete picture.