Rs 858 Crore For Pollution Control Left Untouched, Parliamentary Panel Slams Environment Ministry For Inaction
Due to bureaucratic hurdles, not even 1% of the allocated funds have been utilised so far, pointed out the panel.
As India's air pollution crisis deepens, a massive Rs 858 crore allocated for pollution control in 2024-25 remains unutilised—stuck in bureaucratic limbo. A parliamentary panel has flagged this alarming delay, blaming the Union Environment Ministry for failing to approve the continuation of the scheme.
In a report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change expressed shock at the government's inaction.
"In such a scenario, the committee is shocked to note that the amount, to the tune of Rs 858 crore allocated for 'Control of Pollution', which is 27.44% of the annual revised allocation of the ministry, remains unutilised since the approval for continuation of the Control of Pollution Scheme till 2025-26 is awaited," the 31-member panel, led by BJP MP Bhubaneswar Kalita, stated.
The report paints a grim picture of India's pollution crisis, highlighting how worsening air quality is not just Delhi's problem anymore—it has spread to cities across the country.
The 'Control of Pollution' scheme is a key initiative under which the Centre provides financial assistance to pollution control boards and the National Clean Air Programme. The NCAP aims to reduce particulate pollution in 131 highly polluted cities by 40% by 2026 (compared to 2019-20 levels).
Yet, due to bureaucratic hurdles, not even 1% of the allocated funds have been utilised so far. "At a time when the ministry is required to address the grave and critical challenge of deteriorating air quality, the ministry has not been able to decide the continuation of the concerned scheme, as a result of which not even 1% of the funds allocated for the scheme have been utilised so far," the panel pointed out.
The panel also raised concerns over the low survival rate of trees planted under afforestation drives, questioning whether these initiatives are truly effective.
"There is a need not only to plant the trees but also to ensure that once planted, they are looked after well and continue to survive and grow… There is also a need for an audit of the plantation activities so that the allocations made in this regard are utilised optimally," the report noted.
(With inputs from PTI).
