Bathinda: Because placing information related to crucial pollution in the public domain is very important, which can help policy makers to take pollution management discussions to the next level but when it comes to sharing the information with the public, the majority of state pollution control agencies remain closed entities.
A new ranking study with the Center for Science and the Environment (CSE) has found that a handful of pollution control council and authority only extinguishes environmental information and governance into the public domain.
Transparency Index ‘: Pollution Control Board Ranking on Public Disclosure’ has assessed the performance of data disclosures from 29 state pollution control councils (PCB) and six pollution control committees (PCC) from all over the country.
Of these, only 14 boards and committees scored 50 percent or higher.
The Haryana Board, Himachal Pradesh and Punjab from the region were among those who scored more than 50 percent.
NIVIT KUMAR YADAV, Program Director, Industrial Pollution Unit, CSE, said “The state PCB was entrusted with several functions under the provisions of the Air Law, 1974; Air Law, 1981; Act Cess, 1977; and various rules and notifications released below Environmental Law (Protection), 1986.
One of these functions below section 17 (c) the company’s law and water is to collect and disseminate information related to air and water pollution and also about prevention, control or reduction.
The law asked the board to share data in the public domain.
But this is rarely done in practice.
“Shreya Verma, program officers, industrial pollution units, CSE, and research writers who explain the methodology said,” For this study, CSE collected data from two sources – The SPC / PCCS website and their annual report.
This study has evaluated information distributed by SPCBS / PCCS for four to five years (2016-21) and M Using 25 indicators that provide a broader assessment of the type and amount of information distributed.
Some of the main indicators used in this study include the availability of information about the direction / indicating notification of causes / closures issued by the Board, information about public hearings and AMDAL reports, non-polluted and stretch of polluted rivers “found that information about functions, Actions taken by pollution boards, public hearing data on new projects is rarely disclosed or remain difficult to access on the website.
For example, only 12 countries shared their latest annual reports on their website.
SPCB / PCC has protected the industry in terms of non-compliance .
From 35 SPCBS / PCC, only five of which share a copy of the directions and show notifications cause / closing issued on their website.
only five boards including Haryana who share the minutes of a board meeting them on their website.
Mandatory for SPCBS to meet at least every times every three months.
Board members in meetings These findings should discuss issues relating to the function of the Board, Action Plan, Compliance and Monitoring, and develop innovative methods to improve law enforcement.
Only five other SPCs include Himachal Pradesh which has information about inspections carried out by the Board.
Only nine SPCB / PCC which includes Punjab has provided detailed information about public hearings, which includes executive summaries, draft project reports, and minutes of meetings.
Data shows the current level of pollution – air pollutants, waste etc.
– basic indicators of environmental health, missing.
Most boards display inadequate data, show no trends.
Only 19 SPCBS / PCCS includes three of the regions that display data on their sustainable emissions monitoring systems (CEMS).
This, even after the liability of the law to do so, in accordance with the command of the Supreme Court and the Ministry of Environment Directive.
Fourteen SPCBS / PCCS does not share information about the generation of city waste; 11 in the generation of plastic waste; 10 in dangerous waste; and nine on e-waste.