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The pollution control boards in India are not able to do their job properly because they do not have enough staff and resources, according to a report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The report was submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which is a court that deals with environmental issues. The NGT had taken notice of a news item that said that the pollution control boards were the weak link in the fight against pollution.
The report by the CPCB confirmed the news item and the study. It showed that the pollution control boards across India had 11,969 posts, but only 5,877 of them were filled. This means that more than half of the posts were vacant.
Status of manpower of SPCBs / PCCs
| S. No | State | Sanctioned | In place | Vacant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 289 | 87 | 202 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 29 | 27 | 2 |
| 3 | Assam | 264 | 176 | 88 |
| 4 | Bihar | 249 | 47 | 202 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 328 | 241 | 87 |
| 6 | Goa | 140 | 127 | 13 |
| 7 | Gujarat | 831 | 497 | 334 |
| 8 | Haryana | 450 | 165 | 285 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 371 | 221 | 150 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | 271 | 73 | 198 |
| 11 | Karnataka | 723 | 290 | 433 |
| 12 | Kerala | 459 | 224 | 235 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | 1228 | 459 | 769 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | 839 | 473 | 366 |
| 15 | Manipur | 120 | 47 | 73 |
| 16 | Meghalaya | 152 | 83 | 69 |
| 17 | Mizoram | 14 | 10 | 4 |
| 18 | Nagaland | 24 | 19 | 5 |
| 19 | Odisha | 442 | 179 | 263 |
| 20 | Punjab | 652 | 324 | 328 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | 808 | 332 | 476 |
| 22 | Sikkim | 18 | 12 | 6 |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | 987 | 590 | 397 |
| 24 | Telangana | 230 | 127 | 103 |
| 25 | Tripura | 28 | 24 | 4 |
| 26 | Uttarakhand | 130 | 51 | 79 |
| 27 | Uttar Pradesh | 732 | 407 | 325 |
| 28 | West Bengal | 309 | 178 | 131 |
| Total | 11,117 | 5,490 | 5,627 |
Table 2: Pollution Control Committees
| S. No | State/UT | Sanctioned | In place | Vacant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman and Nicobar Islands | 9 | 6 | 3 |
| 2 | Chandigarh | 9 | 7 | 2 |
| 3 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 12 | 2 | 10 |
| 4 | Delhi | 344 | 111 | 233 |
| 5 | Jammu & Kashmir | 445 | 248 | 197 |
| 6 | Ladakh | 16 | 3 | 13 |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | 5 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Puducherry | 12 | 9 | 3 |
| Total | 852 | 387 | 465 |
The report also showed that the pollution control boards had many laboratories, but many of them were not accredited by the government or by the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL), which is an agency that checks the quality of laboratories.
Details of SPCBs and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs
| S. No | State/UT | SPCBs - Central | SPCBs - Regional | Total SPCBs | EPA | NABL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andhra Pradesh | 0 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 2 |
| 2 | Arunachal Pradesh | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Assam | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 | Bihar | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Chhattisgarh | 1 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Goa | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 7 | Gujarat | 1 | 8 | 9 | 1 | 4 |
| 8 | Haryana | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 3 |
| 9 | Himachal Pradesh | 1 | 5 | 6 | 0 | 2 |
| 10 | Jharkhand | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 11 | Karnataka | 2 | 7 | 9 | 1 | 0 |
| 12 | Kerala | 1 | 15 | 16 | 1 | 0 |
| 13 | Madhya Pradesh | 1 | 10 | 11 | 0 | 6 |
| 14 | Maharashtra | 1 | 7 | 8 | 5 | 3 |
| 15 | Manipur | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 16 | Meghalaya | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 17 | Mizoram | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 18 | Nagaland | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 19 | Odisha | 1 | 14 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 20 | Punjab | 1 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| 21 | Rajasthan | 1 | 12 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| 22 | Sikkim | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 23 | Tamil Nadu | 1 | 17 | 18 | 1 | 2 |
| 24 | Telangana | 1 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| 25 | Tripura | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 0 |
| 26 | Uttarakhand | 1 | 4 | 5 | 0 | 0 |
| 27 | Uttar Pradesh | 1 | 22 | 23 | 1 | 11 |
| 28 | West Bengal | 1 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
| Total (A) | 28 | 160 | 188 | 12 | 40 |
| S. No | State/UT | PCCs - Central | PCCs - Regional | Total PCCs | EPA | NABL |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andaman & Nicobar Islands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Chandigarh | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 3 | Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 4 | Delhi | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 5 | Jammu & Kashmir | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
| 6 | Ladakh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 7 | Lakshadweep | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 8 | Puducherry | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Total (B) | 3 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 1 | |
| Grand Total (A+B) | 31 | 163 | 194 | 12 | 41 |
NGT guides pollution control boards
The report said that the pollution control boards needed more staff and resources to monitor and control the pollution in the country. Taking cognizance of the severity of the situation, the NGT has issued a series of directives aimed at addressing the systemic shortcomings in pollution control. These directives include:
- Urging Chief Secretaries of all States/UTs to address staffing and resource issues within SPCBs and PCCs, including filling vacant positions and procuring necessary equipment.
- Directing the CPCB to prepare a format specifying qualifications, eligibility criteria, and experience required for key positions.
- Designing a mechanism for annual performance audits of all State PCBs/PCCs.
- Exploring the possibility of a central selection mechanism for recruiting suitable candidates.
- Emphasizing the need for full-time engagement of key positions within PCBs/PCCs.
- Facilitating the utilization of Environmental Compensation funds for laboratory setup/upgradation and other specified areas.
- Considering the establishment of a National Environment Data Grid (NEDG) to facilitate better analysis and planning in environmental management.
The NGT's proactive intervention underscores the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for comprehensive reforms in pollution control mechanisms across the country. It is hoped that these measures will pave the way for more effective enforcement of environmental laws and safeguarding of our natural resources for future generations.
The NGT asked the CPCB to take action against the pollution control boards and make them work better. The next hearing of the case is on April 18, 2024.
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