Audit Reveals Grave Shortcomings in Maharashtra Pollution Control

The CAG report highlights severe inadequacies in the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board's functioning. It found delays in processing consent applications and a lack of manpower impacting monitoring. The report also exposed non-compliance by industries, issues with effluent treatment, and lax financial management. Recommendations include stronger enforcement and better resource allocation.

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has identified significant shortcomings in the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), stating that half of the industry's consent applications were approved beyond the required 60-day timeframe. According to a report submitted to the state legislative assembly, 8,273 out of 16,424 consents faced delays, leading to undermined statutory compliance and environmental oversight.

The audit disclosed that numerous hotels and industrial units operated without essential consents, with monitoring hindered by a shortage of personnel. Only 147 out of the needed 329 field officers were in position as of 2022-23, resulting in a 68.35% shortfall in inspections and significantly higher in polluting sectors like sugar, paper, and pharmaceuticals.

The CAG report also highlighted severe violations, including untreated effluent discharge and non-operational treatment plants, with parameters exceeding legal limits. Additionally, financial management was criticized, with unrecovered consent fees and unexecuted forfeiture orders. The CAG has urged for strengthened manpower, industry-wide consent inclusion, and stricter enforcement in highly polluting sectors.

(With inputs from agencies.)