According to the Central Pollution Control Board environmental compensation (EC) was a policy instrument for the protection of the environment and worked on the "polluter pays" principle. In other words, fine was levied on violators of environmental laws and used for restoration.
The green body had sought details on the EC imposed and its utilisation from the DPCC. In a report dated December 26, the committee said, “DPCC has received Rs 11,208.15 lakh (Rs 112.08 crore) as EC fund from April 2015 till November 20 (2024), and Rs 3,605.66 lakh (Rs 36.05 crore) has been utilised so far.”
Giving a break-up of the utilisation, the report said the highest amount, about Rs 10.11 crore, was spent on information, education and communication activities, followed by an expenditure of Rs 8.77 crore on strengthening monitoring systems, including installation and running continuous ambient air quality monitoring stations and noise monitoring stations.
It further said about Rs 6.79 crore was spent on laboratory strengthening; Rs 5.11 crore on NGT-directed studies; Rs 2.16 crore on research and development activities; Rs 2.03 crore on the hiring of experts and consultants for specific purposes and for paying honorarium besides about Rs 1.05 crore for other scientific and technical purposes.
The report, however, said no amount was spent on categories such as "remediation of contaminated sites", "specific investigations and studies regarding environment and ecology", "carrying capacity assessment", "capacity building" and "specialised studies on accidental, spill areas, health impact assessment, recalcitrant pollutants, etc".
According to the DPCC report, the highest EC since April 2015, was collected from air polluters (about Rs 18.84 crore) and construction activities (Rs 18.60 crore) followed by medical establishments (Rs 17.68 crore), and hotels (Rs 13 crore) contravening environmental laws.
It said about Rs 2.11 crore was recovered from plastic bag users whereas malls violating green norms paid over Rs 49 lakh and approximately Rs 5.82 crore was collected from illegal borewell users.
About Rs 14.40 crore EC was imposed and realised from the "non-confirming areas", the report said, naming other violations, such as illegal generators, tandoors, dyeing units, polluting River Yamuna, vehicle fines and use of plastic bags.
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