The Department-related Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests, and Climate Change raised concerns over the inadequate utilization of funds under the Control of Pollution Scheme for FY 2024-25.

Key Findings of the Parliamentary Committee

• Concern on rising pollution: India’s worsening air, water, and noise pollution has been a global concern for years.
• Underutilisation of fund: The environment ministry spent less than 1% of the ₹858 crore allocated for pollution control in 2024-25.
  • The parliamentary panel expressed shock over the underutilization of funds, particularly for the “Control of Pollution” scheme, which forms 27% of the ministry’s budget.
• Reason for Underutilisation: The lack of scheme approvals, despite ambitious targets, indicates poor planning and concern.

About Control of Pollution Scheme

• Administering Authority: The scheme is implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
• Type: It is a Central Sector Scheme, fully funded by the central government.
• Launch Year: 2018
• Objective:
  • To monitor air quality nationwide and implement necessary mitigation measures.
  • To track water quality and noise pollution levels for effective environmental management.
• Targets under the Scheme: 
  • National Clean Air Programme (NCAP): Provides funding for NCAP, which aims to reduce particulate pollution in 131 highly polluted cities by 40% by 2026, compared to 2019-20 levels.
  • It also finances plans to clean the air in 82 ‘non-attainment’ cities that fail to meet air quality standards.
• Components of the Scheme
  • Financial Assistance: Supports weaker state pollution control boards to strengthen their pollution-control measures.
  • Environmental Monitoring Network Programme: Establishes a nationwide pollution monitoring system for continuous assessment and action.

Air and Water Pollution Crisis

• India’s air quality ranking improved from 3rd to 5th globally in 2024, but PM2.5 levels remain far above WHO standards.
  • Despite the improvement, India still has 13 of the world’s 20 most polluted cities, with Delhi ranking second in most polluted cities and is the most polluted capital city.
• Water pollution is severe, with India ranking 120th out of 122 on the Global Water Quality Index.
  • 70% of Indian water sources are contaminated, posing a severe public health risk.

Need for Continuous Pollution-Control Efforts

• Delays in pollution-control approvals hinder critical public health initiatives.
  • Recently the Delhi government prioritized air and water pollution in its 2025-26 budget, allocating ₹506 crore.
• Efficient implementation of pollution-control programs remains a major challenge.