Staff shortage hampers Pollution Control Board’s functioning

Staff shortage hampers Pollution Control Board’s functioning
Archit Watts
Tribune News Service

Jammu, July 22
Though the state government has constituted the State Pollution Control Board to keep a check on the increasing pollution level, the lack of adequate staff has been affecting its functioning.

The board started functioning in 1986 and aimed at making Jammu and Kashmir a pollution
free state.

However, the lack of manpower has resulted in adismal performance bythe board.

Sources in the board disclosed that no fresh recruitments had been made for almost a decade. “In 1996, additional manpower based on the actual responsibilities was estimated and the sanction was obtained from the government to increase the staff strength. The staff strength of the board, however, increased in years 2000 and 2001 after which no new recruitments were made,” a board official said.

He added that the board lacked environment engineers, scientists, field staff, inspectors and some class IV employees. Due to an inadequate staff, the board had virtually failed to take effective action against defaulters, including some industrial units, hotels, banquet halls and automobile workshops under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

Chairman of the board Lal Chand also said the staff shortage was hampering the board’s efforts to control the pollution levels in the state.

“Earlier, there were no recruitment rules. But now we have framed the rules and have sent them for approval to the state government,” said Lal Chand while talking to The Tribune over the phone from Srinagar.

He added that, “The staff shortage has added extra workload on the existing staff. At present, we need at least one-third of the total sanctioned staff of 450 employees to be able to do our job efficiently.”

Courtesy: The Tribune