Manpower shortages, inadequate infrastructure & limited resources hinder efficacy of State Pollution Control Boards

State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB) play a pivotal role in environmental regulation and management in India. The SPCBs are entrusted with several functions under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974; Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981; Water (Prevention And Control Of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977 and various rules and notifications issued under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. 

These bodies are crucial for ensuring sustainable development. However, SPCBs face significant challenges that hinder their effectiveness, including manpower shortages, inadequate infrastructure and limited financial resources. Addressing these issues is essential for enhancing the performance and capacity of SPCBs.

On November 6, 2023, National Green Tribunal issued a notice to Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), asking for data on each SPCB’s sanctioned staff, actual present staff, laboratories, infrastructure, training details and so on.

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Manpower shortage

According to the CPCB report dated April 5, 2024 (in response to NGT direction), approximately 50.56 per cent (6075 posts) of the posts in all SPCBs are vacant, compared to the total sanction of 12,016 posts, with only approximately 49.44 per cent (5,941 posts) working (filled).

Status of staff strength in SPCB/PCCs

Source: CPCB report, 2024

SPCBs like Andhra Pradesh pollution control board (70 per cent), Bihar pollution control board (83.94 per cent), Gujarat pollution control board (61. 67 per cent) and Haryana (62.72 per cent), Jharkhand (73 per cent), M.P (62.7 per cent), Karnataka (60 per cent), Uttarakhand (60.77 per cent), Manipur (61.67) and pollution control committees (PCC) like Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu (83 per cent) and Ladakh (68.75 per cent), Lakshadweep (80per cent) have more than 60 per cent seats vacant. 

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According to the Gujarat State Pollution Control Board’s annual report for 2021-22, there are 379 working staff in the state’s 90,903 industries (as of the 2022 annual report). The 379 working staff includes technical / non-technical and other support staff. 

Out of 379, about 55 are non-technical staff like clerks, stenographers, accountant and other support staff. Considering the 324 technical and scientific staff in the board, each member is responsible for 280 industries along with other duties. 

The industry numbers and SPCB personnel ratio are beyond manageable. Given the current circumstances in SPCBs/PCCs, it is critical to conduct an institutional capacity assessment and prioritise filling vacant positions and adding new ones, with a focus on regional offices.

Regulatory and monitoring facilities

SPCBs and PCCs establish environmental laboratories in their regional or zonal offices for sample monitoring and analysis. Central Environmental Laboratories are generally equipped with sophisticated and advanced analytical instruments, whereas the laboratories of regional offices have limited facilities.  

The SPCBs in Bihar, Goa, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Sikkim do not have regional laboratories. Among PCCs, only Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir and Puducherry have laboratories, while the remaining do not have their own facilities and rely on other government or private laboratories for monitoring and analysis.

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The CPCB recognises SPCB and PCC environmental laboratories under Section 23 of the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 and the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (OJABL) accredits them under ISO/IEC:17025: 2017 to carry out the functions assigned to them. 

According to the CPCB report submitted to NGT, only 14 of the 190 environmental laboratories in SPCB/PCCs have received EPA recognition (including NABL), with the remaining 48 receiving NABL accreditation. Out of 36 SPCB/PCCs, 9 have EPA recognition, while 15 only have NABL accreditation.

NABL accreditation is critical for ensuring the quality of data/results. It  guarantees that the lab adheres to standardised procedures and uses calibrated equipment, ensuring that the results are accurate and reliable.

According to the CPCB’s performance audit report of SPCB and PCCs in 2019-20, the agencies are inadequately equipped with infrastructure and trained staff, particularly those in the North Eastern States.

Financial position of SPCBs

SPCB and PCCs require strong financial support and adequate infrastructure to function properly. SPCBs obtain their financial resources from both internal and external sources. 

The major sources of budget for SPCB/PCCs are consent fees from industry, authorisation fees under various Waste Management Rules under the Environment Protection Act of 1986, environment compensation, grant aid from respective state governments, funding assistance under the Central Sector Scheme for Pollution Control and interest on investments, among other things.

The revenue generated by various boards varies greatly and is heavily influenced by the number of industries present in the state. 

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The CPCB report stated there are no financial constraints with SPCB/PCCs (excluding North East States and PCCs). Most states have budget surpluses when compared to their annual income and expenditures.  In some cases, SPCB/PCCs such as Bihar, Goa, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, UP, Sikkim, Tripura and Lakshadweep spent more than they generated, which could be attributed to previous carryover funds available with boards. 

As per the CPCB performance audit of the agencies conducted in 2019-20, “there is no financial constraint with SPCB/PCCs (except North East States and PCCs), however, they appeared insecure for the availability of funds in future”. 

To alleviate this fear, it is critical to explore new financial avenues for the future and raise awareness among them about how to effectively use existing funds in addressing the evolving challenges of environmental management.

To address these challenges, several measures need to be implemented:

• Enhancing Manpower: There is an urgent need to fill the existing vacancies in SPCBs. This can be achieved through expedited recruitment processes.
• Improving Infrastructure: Investment in infrastructure, particularly in setting up and upgrading regional laboratories, is essential. Ensuring that all laboratories obtain NABL accreditation will also enhance the reliability of environmental monitoring.
• Securing Financial Resources: Exploring new financial avenues and ensuring the effective utilization of existing funds is crucial. 
• Training and Capacity Building: Regular training programs for staff to keep them updated with the latest technologies and regulatory practices can improve the overall efficiency of SPCBs.
• Conduct capacity gap assessment of SPCB/PCCS: Perform an institutional capacity assessment to identify gaps in existing regulatory capacity and resources in regional offices of SPCBs.

Strengthening SPCBs is critical for effective environmental management in India. Addressing manpower shortages, inadequate infrastructure and financial instability will allow these boards to perform their regulatory functions more efficiently and contribute to the country’s long-term development.

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