TNPCB running on fumes with over 40% vacant posts
As per data released by the Central Pollution Control Board, the State’s environmental watchdog has a sanctioned staff strength of 1,059, of which, 439 are vacant
Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB)
CHENNAI: Several environmental issues such as Ennore oil and gas leak, Pallikaranai marshland degradation, dumping of bio-medical waste on the State borders and others plague Tamil Nadu.
But the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), the environment watchdog, is under a tight leash as more than 41% of the posts are vacant.
According to data released by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), TNPCB has a sanctioned staff strength of 1,059. Of which, 439 posts are vacant, which is 41.45% vacancy. On the other hand, TNPCB has 57 contractual staff, of which 52 are from science background.
The data has been submitted to the National Green Tribunal (NGT), which hears a suo motu case pertaining to functioning of State Pollution Control Boards across the country. The huge number of vacancies is despite Tamil Nadu being the state with the highest number of environmental laboratories. With 17 zonal labs and 1 central lab, the State has 18 labs in total.
Shockingly, the labs in Tamil Nadu lack equipment to calculate parameters such as bicarbonate, carbon dioxide, chlorine residual, E.Coli, iodine, lignin, salinity, silica, sulphite, tin, and most parameters of solid waste and biological parameters.
This is in spite of the TNPCB earning more money than it actually spends.
In 2020-21, the TNPCB had earned Rs 33 crore but spent only Rs 11 crore. In 2021-22, the board earned Rs 35 crore against its actual expenditure of Rs 25 crore.
As per Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) released in 2016, industrial areas in Manali, Vellore, Tiruppur and Mettur are critically polluted while those in Coimbatore, Erode, Thoothukudi and Cuddalore, are severely polluted.
“The Tribunal (NGT) is considering the issue of infrastructure, resources and capacity of the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) /Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) to perform the functions assigned to them, which are affected on account of inadequate sanctioned strength of personnel, high number of vacancies especially in technical positions, absence of proper training, lack of pollution monitoring and abatement equipment, absence of technically competent leadership, protracted enforcement mechanisms, insufficient funds and ineffectual spending,” the NGT had pointed out in February.
DT Next’s efforts to get comment on the issue from State Environment Secretary Supriya Sahu went futile.