In recent years, there has been growing concern over the state of transparency regarding pollution control in India. A new report by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), a public interest research and advocacy NGO, highlights that most State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in India are non-transparent entities, particularly in terms of sharing information with the public.
Transparency Index: Rating of Pollution Control Boards on Public Disclosure
The CSE report is titled “Transparency Index: Rating of pollution control boards on public disclosure.” It scrutinised the data disclosure performance of 29 State Pollution Control Boards and six Pollution Control Committees across India. Shockingly, only 17 out of these 35 organisations managed to score above 50% in terms of transparency. The law mandates these agencies under the Air Act 1981 and Water Act 1974 to collect and disseminate crucial information related to air and water pollution, including details about its prevention, control, or abatement, to the public. Unfortunately, this seems to be more of an exception than a rule, with only Odisha and Telangana’s pollution control boards scoring 67% in transparency.
Issues Hampering SPCBs Effectiveness
Several challenges contribute to the inadequacy exhibited by Indian SPCBs. Firstly, while their responsibilities have significantly expanded over the last two decades, their budgets and workforce have not seen a similar increase. This lack of resources often results in low remuneration, discouraging talented individuals from joining or remaining with these boards.
A debilitating shortage of technical experts further reduces central and state pollution regulators to mere advisory bodies, incapable of enforcing air quality standards. Moreover, key leadership positions are often held by civil servants lacking expertise in science or environmental studies – the areas vital for understanding issues related to pollution and climate change.
Leadership and Accountability Concerns
The accountability and morale of state board officials often leave a lot to be desired. Many view their roles as minimal, primarily due to the non-inclusive process of framing standards, where they are merely asked to implement predetermined guidelines. This lack of involvement in decision-making processes undoubtedly affects their motivation to perform effectively.
Add to this the poor multi-sectoral coordination. Without effective convergence and collaboration between various central and state departments, SPCB directives are often overlooked or not implemented at all by other departments.
The Challenges of Monitoring
While technological advancements have enhanced real-time monitoring capabilities year on year, gaps in data collection and discrepancies in readings due to poor equipment calibration persist as significant issues.
About Pollution Control Boards in India
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is a statutory organization founded in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. With its mandate expanded under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, it serves as a field formation and provides technical services to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
SPCBs supplement the CPCB as they are statutory organizations entrusted to implement Environmental Laws and rules within the jurisdiction of a state. PCCs perform similar functions to SPCBs but belong to Union territories.
Way Forward: Improving Transparency and Efficiency
For significant improvements in transparency, there is a need for a uniform format for annual reports and information sharing on websites. The CPCB should also establish a website format and guidelines for framing annual reports for SPCBs/PCCs.
Additionally, clear qualifications need to be established for recruiting members to pollution control boards. Prioritizing specialized knowledge or practical experience relating to environmental protection could be a key criterion.
Strengthening the institutional capacity of regulatory bodies through the provision of necessary technical and financial resources is an imperative step toward better pollution control in India.
