Environment ministry spent less than 1% of ₹858 cr for pollution control in FY24: Parliamentary committee

The Centre only used 0.84% of the ₹858 crore allocated to the Ministry of Environment for the ‘Control of Pollution’, according to a parliamentary committee.

A parliamentary committee report on Tuesday disclosed that out of the RE 2024-25 allocation of ₹858 crore for ‘Control of Pollution’, only an amount of ₹7.22 crore was spent up to January 31, 2025.

The committee asked reasons for underutilisation of funds earmarked for a pollution control scheme.

The Ministry of Environment responded that the utilisation of majority of the funds in the scheme for the financial year 2024-25 could not be made till now as the approval for the continuation of the ‘Control of Pollution’ scheme till FY 2025-26 is awaited. 

“Planning for disbursement and utilisation of the funds are already in place and will be executed as soon as approval is received. Further, the Ministry intends to spend the budget of ₹853.00 crore for FY 2025-26 under Control of Pollution Scheme under various components of the scheme as per the approval,” said the ministry.

The committee is “shocked” to note that amount to the tune of ₹858.00 crore allocated for ‘Control of Pollution’, which is 27.44% of the annual RE allocation of the ministry, remains unutilised since the approval for continuation of Control of Pollution Scheme till 2025-26, is awaited, even at the fag end of the financial year. 

“The committee is of the view that pollution, whether it be air, water or noise, has gone beyond permissible limits during the last few years and has serious consequences for the health and well being of the citizens of the country,” said the parliamentary committee.

Ever-deteriorating air quality

It noted that the air pollution has assumed gigantic proportions and has become a national issue. “Although Delhi has been in the news because of its ever-deteriorating air quality, other cities in the country are also not left behind and are experiencing high AQI levels,” noted the committee.

Noting the inadequate annual utilisation of funds, the committee said that the environment ministry had spent only 54% or ₹1,712.48 crore up to January 31. However, the ministry secretary informed the panel that 69% had been used.

The ‘Control of Pollution’ scheme was launched in 2018 to monitor air, water and noise pollution and their quality levels across the country. It is fully funded by the Union government and is part of the government’s flagship National Clean Air Programme (NCAP).

The NCAP aimed to reduce particulate matter 10 (PM10) in 131 cities by 2026. The ‘Control of Pollution’ scheme funds plans to clean dirty air in 82 ‘non-attainment’ cities which do not conform to air quality standards. A total of ₹3,072 crore has been allocated for these cities under the scheme from 2019-20 to 2025-26.