Proof Of Lip Service? Just 31% Of Green Funds Used In Last Decade
New Delhi: In a disclosure about environmental fund utilisation, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) acknowledged spending a mere 31% of the environmental pollution charge (EPC) collected during the previous decade.
Even more concerning is the utilisation of only 1% of the environmental cess (EC) accumulated over eight years.
These details emerged in responses to two separate Right to Information queries submitted by environmental activist Amit Gupta. CPCB's official response indicates that the pollution watchdog collected approximately Rs 427 crore as EPC in Delhi between the 2014-15 and 2024-25. Despite highly elevated pollution levels in Delhi-National Capital Region during this timeframe, the sum utilised for anti-pollution measures as of March this year was only Rs 130.9 crore, or just a third of the total collected funds.
The financial year 2024-25 saw the highest EPC collection of Rs 74.4 crore, yet the spending remained restricted to Rs 31.9 crore, highlighting a persistent pattern of underutilisation of funds.
CPCB claimed that it committed Rs 259.2 crore from EPC funds for 15 pollution control projects across Delhi-NCR. These include the procurement of mechanical sweeping machines and anti-smog guns for pollution-prone cities such as Noida, Ghaziabad and Faridabad.
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In Noida, four mechanical sweepers and five anti-smog guns have been sanctioned, while Ghaziabad will receive one sweeping machine and 10 anti-smog guns.
Faridabad's approved projects include 10 sweeping machines, 10 anti-smog guns and some city road construction.
Delhi itself has seen the installation of a smog tower using EPC money and CPCB has also promised financial assistance to convert diesel generator sets to cleaner CNG versions in govt hospitals across NCR.
Another major initiative includes funding for the establishment of paddy straw-based pelletisation plants in Delhi-NCR and Punjab to tackle stubble burning — one of the leading contributors to north India's winter smog.
Cities left out of the National Clean Air Programme have also been promised financial support from the money collected as EPC.
As for the environmental cess collection and its use, the pollution body disclosed that it had garnered approximately Rs 45.8 crore in the last eight years.
Of this amount, CPCB admitted to spending a mere Rs 9 lakh. This translates into less than 1% of the amount being spent when the pollution situation requires so much to be done.
CPCB claims to have approved 67 projects across India using EC funds. Yet the spending record shows a dismal lack of implementation. The few projects undertaken include sampling of cigarettes and bidi butts by the Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, compensation granted to affected students as facilitated by the Delhi Legal Services Authority and testing of vegetables, edible products, soil and water along the banks of the Yamuna in the capital.
"This is not just bureaucratic delay in channelling funds, but this is environmental negligence," rued Gupta. "Time and time again, we've exposed through RTIs that CPCB and state pollution boards are sitting on massive unused funds. There is no shortage of funds, only failures of intention and execution. Even after repeated warnings from the joint parliamentary committee on environment, nothing has changed. If CPCB doesn't take its responsibilities seriously, how can India's environmental crisis ever be tackled?"
CPCB did not respond to TOI's queries on the matter
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