Bengaluru: Anekal MLA B. Shivanna has been appointed as Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and will be responsible for the state’s most sensitive pollution-control agency.
The appointment comes after Shivanna and Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw had a public dispute over poor road conditions in Anekal and whether industries operating in the area need to contribute to local infrastructure through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funding.
The appointment comes against a wider background of scrutiny over the process of appointing the KSPCB chairman. Activists had earlier in September called on the Karnataka government to follow legal and judicial guidelines while appointing the chairman, and questions were raised as to whether the position should be held by a qualified environmental expert, not a politician.
KSPCB is responsible for the control and prevention of pollution in Karnataka. Its duties include regulation and monitoring of air and water pollution, environmental compliance, and pollution-control measures. The state environmental administration is thus shaped by the chairperson.
Shivanna’s appointment is particularly notable given his recent public spat with Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw over infrastructure conditions in Anekal. The issue began with residents pointing to damaged and waterlogged roads in parts of the constituency. Mazumdar-Shaw said the roads were in bad condition and the issue had been raised with the local MLA.
Shivanna responded to this by stating that industries in the area should contribute more to infrastructure development with CSR funds. He also said government funding for road repairs was limited and companies in the industrial region could fund local development. He also said roads repaired with government funding might deteriorate again due to rainfall and recurring infrastructure problems.
Mazumdar-Shaw rejected the suggestion that her criticism was simply a personal action as an industry leader. She said she spoke on behalf of residents who had asked her to raise concerns about road conditions. That exchange attracted widespread attention because Anekal is home to a large industrial node on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The infrastructure debate is separate from Shivanna’s new responsibilities at the pollution-control board, but his appointment places environmental regulation and industrial compliance among the areas now associated with his public role. The KSPCB deals with industrial issues, pollution standards, environmental permissions, and compliance, and its work speaks to industrial areas like Bengaluru and Anekal too.
The timing of the appointment has also attracted attention since it was reported that several politicians were interested in the position of KSPCB chairman and that the appointment was on the table. An environmental activist had previously asked the state government to ensure that the appointment was in line with laws and qualifications.
Legal issues surrounding the post have also been under judicial scrutiny. Last year’s report of the proceedings before Karnataka High Court said petitions had challenged the norms and process of appointment of the KSPCB chairman and other board posts.
Shivanna has new responsibilities and not just on constituency-level issues. KSPCB is very important for monitoring environmental compliance across Karnataka, and this is in the midst of industrial growth and urbanization.
The appointment also puts a renewed emphasis on the relationship between industrial development, civic infrastructure, and environmental regulation. As the surrounding industrial corridors have grown rapidly, pollution monitoring and enforcement must be done in concert with infrastructure development in Bengaluru.
Anekal MLA B Shivanna appointed as Chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) September 28, 2026
The appointment comes days after Shivanna was involved in a public spat with Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar Shaw over the poor condition of roads in Anekal and the… pic.twitter.com/SzzkvGQ2No
The previous road dispute between Shivanna and Mazumdar-Shaw has raised the issue of infrastructure in Anekal. Residents had expressed concern about potholes and damage to roads, and the MLA and industry representative discussed these issues, but it was to some extent a matter of government and private industry.
Now that Shivanna is in charge of the KSPCB, attention will be focused on the board’s environmental priorities, regulatory work, and pollution control work throughout Karnataka.
