Rs 858 cr pollution control fund unused due to lack of approval: Parl panel

The budgetary allocation of Rs 858 crore for pollution control in 2024-25 remains unutilized due to lack of approval from the Union Environment Ministry for the continuation of the scheme, a parliamentary panel has said in its report.

In the report tabled in the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday, the department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change said air pollution has assumed "gigantic proportions", affecting not just Delhi but many other cities.

"In such a scenario, the committee is shocked to note that amount to the tune of Rs 858 crore allocated for 'Control of Pollution', which is 27.44 per cent of the annual revised allocation of the ministry, remains unutilized since the approval for continuation of Control of Pollution Scheme till 2025-26 is awaited," the 31-member panel headed by BJP Rajya Sabha member Bhubaneswar Kalita said.

"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 per cent of the funds allocated for the scheme have been utilized so far," the panel said.

Under the 'Control of Pollution' scheme, the Centre provides financial assistance to pollution control boards/committees and funding for the National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) which aims to reduce particulate pollution in 131 highly polluted cities by 40 per cent by 2026 compared to 2019-20 levels.

The committee noted that rising pollution not only leads to various health issues but also harms the environment.

"The scenario of air pollution in the country is indeed very grim and has been affecting one and all," it said, recommending that the ministry take serious note of the reasons for this gross underutilization.

It also observed that while plantation drives are carried out frequently, the survival rate of these plants is very low.

"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 audit of the plantation activities, so that the allocations made in this regard are utilized optimally," it said.