Queries by an activist have revealed some interesting facts about the spending by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which reportedly spent just 0.2 percent of the environmental compensation it collected from 2018 to 2024 on protecting the environment. The CPCB collected Rs 45.81 crore in fines and penalties under environmental compensation during this period but spent only Rs 9 lakh.
Where does the board generate the environmental compensation from? Most of it comes from the state pollution control boards, and the board also levies fines directly on polluters in various cases. The CPCB collected Rs 29.28 crore in 2016-17 but spent only Rs 0.01 crore. In 2023-24, Rs 65.28 crore was collected, while spending stood at just Rs 22.38 crore. In 2024-25, it collected Rs 74.39 crore but spent only Rs 31.98 crore.
The RTI also reveals that the board spent only Rs 130.9 crore of the Rs 427.37 crore collected under the environment protection charge during the same period, which was meant to tackle air pollution in the Delhi-NCR region.
These funds are meant to be used for environmental protection, including strengthening labs, monitoring networks, compliance studies, capacity building, and costs incurred by the National Green Tribunal-appointed committees. While Delhi struggles with pollution throughout the year and particularly during the winter months, the money that should have been wisely spent on curbing pollution has remained unspent. Financial discipline should be practiced by every government entities, especially an important organization like the CPCB, which itself regulates others for mismanagement.