Environment Ministry pulled up for 'poor' performance in controlling pollution

New Delhi, May 10: The Environment Ministry has been pulled up for "poor" performance in controlling pollution and use of funds by a parliamentary panel, which asked it to take necessary measures to ensure targets are met in the future and money optimally utilised.

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest in its 283rd report of Demands for Grants (2016-17) of the Environment Ministry said the ministry also could not achieve the physical targets relating to Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations and new noise monitoring stations.

The committee, chaired by Ashwani Kumar, said that whether it was air, water or noise pollution, it has gone beyond permissible limits during the last few years and has serious consequences for health and well-being of the citizens.

"The committee finds that the performace of the ministry and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in a scheme relating to providing assistance for abatement of pollution is not impressive at all.

"The ministry could not achieve the physical targets relating to Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations and new noise monitoring stations while other targets set have been stated to be under process," the report said.

It said that the ministry could only utilise 35 per cent of the allocation upto December 2015 which too reflects "very poorly" on the performance under the scheme.

"The committee therefore, recommends that the ministry should take a serious note of its performance under this scheme (assistance for abatement of pollution) and take all necessary measures to ensure that the targets under the scheme are achieved in future and funds allocated are optimally utilized," it said.

The committee said that growing urbanisation, rapid industrialisation and increasing population during the last few years have also tremendously impacted the environmental concerns of the country.

"In such a scenario, the measures taken by the Environment Ministry for prevention and control of pollution and maintaining ecological balance have not been commensurate with the magnitude of the problem," it said.

PTI