NGT asks CPCB to respond to allegation of 'fudged' pollution data generated by pvt labs

The National Green Tribunal has asked the Central Pollution Control Board to respond to an allegation that inadequate monitoring of environmental laboratories are affecting the quality of their reports.

An NGT bench headed by its chairperson, Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel, asked the apex pollution monitoring body to submit its report on the allegation within a month.

"Before we consider this grievance, it will be appropriate that a factual report is furnished in the matter by the CPCB," the bench said in its order on the allegation by an NGO.

The tribunal directed the applicant NGO to furnish a set of its application and other relevant papers to the CPCB and file an affidavit of the service of its documents to the CPCB in a week.

NGO Social Action for Forest and Environment has moved the NGT highlighting the poor monitoring of environmental pollution by recognised private laboratories and the poor quality of their data, which the NGO said, were compromising the people's health.

The data generated in our country lacks authenticity, said the plea, alleging that they are often fudged and manipulated to suit requirements.

One of the main reasons for generation of the poor quality data and poor monitoring of the environmental pollution is the cost consideration, said the plea, adding the cost incurred on the two vital works by green laboratories has been much lower than the actual cost incurred in monitoring environment, sampling data and analysing the same.

This has often led to manipulation and fudging of the baseline data, making them ineffective in pollution mitigation and undermining people's health.

Referring to an RTI reply, the plea said the tasks of monitoring quality of water from various sources like rivers, hand pumps and ground water, besides the air quality and various hazardous ingredients of environment are given to recognised private laboratories.

And the private labs which get the work happen to be the ones which quote the minimum rate for the job, said the plea, adding that their data in turn are relied upon without verifying their authenticity.

The NGO said there is a need to increase transparency and efficiency in the environment monitoring sector and this can be achieved by stringent monitoring and regulating the cost as per the CPCB schedule of rates.