Pollution control body rapped for not keeping track of hazardous waste

Hyderabad: The CAG’s audit report has found multiple lags in the functioning of the Pollution Control Board of erstwhile AP. From lack of equipment and laboratories for monitoring air and water quality, to conducting irregular inspections of highly polluting units, the issues pointed out in the report were many.

One of the most shocking findings was that the PCB was not even aware of the quantity of hazardous waste being generated in Hyderabad from 2013 onwards. Between 2009-2013, only about 36 per cent of the generated hazardous waste was managed, with no reply from the PCB on what happened to the rest. It was also found that in Visakhapatnam, no action was taken when it was found that three units were releasing highly toxic effluents causing mortality of test organisms.

The laxity of PCB was further proved as it was found to have not developed any Annual Action Plan since 2012 and the Board actually failed to spend even the money in its own yearly budget estimates. Failure in expenditure was attributed to non-utilisation of funds for essential works.