CAG blasts Mizoram pollution control body

AIZAWL, March 29 ? Audit Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India said that the Mizoram Pollution Control Board (MPCB) since its inception in 1989 did not make any headway in controlling pollution and the expenditure of Rs 58.25 lakh incurred during the past 11 years was unproductive, reports PTI. The report, which was tabled in the state Assembly here Tuesday by Chief Minister Zoramthanga, said that the MPCB has not been able to plan, control, study and prevent the effects of environmental pollution. ?This was mainly due to non-utilisation of funds, lack of scientific manpower, non-functioning of its laboratories and non-involvement of NGOs for creating mass awareness on pollution issues?, the report said. Funds allocated for establishment of Central Laboratory and a mobile monitoring laboratory amounting to Rs 35.90 during 1992-98 were diverted to meet non-plan expenditure, the report said. Mizoram has, as on March 31, 2001, a vehicular population of 26,239 which included 2,992 diesel-driven ones, but the board is yet to issue necessary guidelines and lay down standards for emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere by the automobiles. The board also failed to control noise pollution in the state the CAG report said. Central Pollution Control Board?s decision to set up two ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations at Aizawl was not implemented as the MPCB failed to follow up the proposal, the report said, adding the board also did not issue any direction for management of bio-medical waste generated by 78 medical institutions in the state.