IMPHAL, SEPTEMBER 9: Manipur Pollution Control Board (MPCB) did not take proactive steps such as maintenance of inventory of polluting industries, according to the latest report of Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG).
“Schemes/Project implementation was not a priority as indicated by financial resource allocation of only 19 percent of the total expenditure of the Board for it,” says the Accountant General Dr Jay Shankar while releasing the CAG report in Imphal on Friday. “The Board (MPCB) failed in its role as the custodian for identification, prevention, control and abatement of pollution as basic functions like monitoring of water quality, air pollution, treatment of effluent etc were either not taken up or efforts were inadequate.”
More than two decades old MPCB is a statutory body responsible for formation and implementation of policy for prevention, control or abatement of pollution in the state under various environmental laws.
However during 2010-15, on an average 47 percent of expenditure was incurred on pay and allowances of the staff whereas expenditure on scheme/project constituted only 19 percent.
The remaining amount (34 percent) was utilized for purchase of stamps, furniture, travelling allowances etc, says the CAG report which was tabled on the first day of the monsoon session of Manipur legislative assembly on Friday.
MPCB is supposed to check the water pollution level during 2014-15, as per the Central Pollution Control Board guidelines for monitoring water quality standard. But the board had not measured 10 to 13 parameters out of 25 prescribed parameters required to be measured as per Water (Prevention and Control of pollution) Act 1974, the report said.
Similarly there was no record of monitoring air quality from 2010-14 while there was a shortfall of 82 observations during 2014-15, it added. Only 22 observations were done during the period.
On the other hand only 55 out of 657 identified health care establishments (HCEs) were authorized by MPCB in Manipur during 2011-12.
However segregated data regarding the number of hospitals violating the Bio-Medical waste( Management and Handling) Rules 1998 are not available with MPCB, it said adding that the board had not initiated any action against the defaulting HCEs.
Stating that the provision of the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 has been ineffective due to inaction on part of the government, the report also said MPCB has not taken up with Imphal Municipal Corporation to increase frequency of collection of municipal solid waste and segregation of waste at source not to speak of monitoring harmful effects of plastic waste which could pose health hazard to the masses.
