The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has issued a notification updating its official list of recognized Environmental Laboratories and designated Government Analysts under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The notification, dated October 7, 2025, reflects two major actions by the CPCB: the substitution (renewal/amendment) of entries for 41 existing laboratories and the insertion of 37 new laboratories into the recognized list.
Scope of Recognition
All laboratories, both renewed and newly added, are recognized to perform a wide array of environmental tests, covering nearly all major compliance and monitoring requirements:
- Water and Wastewater: Physical Tests, Inorganic (General and Non-metallic, Trace Metals), Organics (General and Trace Organics), Microbiological Tests, Toxicological Tests, and Biological Tests.
- Solid Waste: Characterization of Hazardous Waste, Soil/Sludge/Sediment and Solid Waste.
- Air and Noise: Ambient Air/Fugitive Emissions, Stack Gases/Source Emission, Noise level, and Meteorological Monitoring.
Renewals and Amendments (Substitution of 41 Entries)
The CPCB has renewed the recognition of the laboratories and updated their details, including the appointment of new Government Analysts and the validity period. Most renewals extend the validity of recognition until dates in 2028, although some have shorter terms.
New Recognitions (Insertion of 37 Entries)
The CPCB inserted 37 new entries, starting from Serial Number 293 and running up to 329, significantly expanding the national capacity for environmental testing.
The recognition for most of these new laboratories is valid until early 2028.
Validity and Government Analysts
The validity of the laboratory recognition is specified in column (5). However, the designated Government Analysts (listed in column (3)) are appointed for the same validity period or up to their superannuation from the organization’s service, whichever is earlier.
This large-scale update ensures that a sufficient number of accredited laboratories and qualified analysts are officially available to support environmental enforcement, monitoring, and compliance verification across India.