NEW DELHI: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), while lashing out at enforcement agencies for their ‘grossly inadequate’ efforts to tackle complaints on pollution, urged them to join social media platforms to address the grievances.
The CPCB directive was issued to the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, the Central Public Works Department, the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) and pollution control boards of Delhi, Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh.
CPCB member secretary Prashant Gargava said the response by enforcement agencies to complaints lodged on the SAMEER app was ‘inadequate’. “They have to join social media platforms and take action in respect of complaints concerning them,” the CPCB was quoted as saying in the minutes of a meeting held last week.
This is the second time that the CPCB directed agencies to address the grievances filed against those violating norms. On Monday, the Supreme Court on Monday asked the CPCB to prosecute government officials for not acting on around 250 complaints submitted by citizens. In an affidavit, the CPCB said of the 749 complaints received on social media and e-mails till 22 November, 2018, about 500 complaints (67 per cent) were attended to by 52 CPCB teams while associating with clean air campaign between November 1 and 10.
The pollution watchdog also set up a separate cell for management of citizens’ complaints being received via Facebook, Twitter, e-mails and the CPCB website since November 5. “Complaints received through social media accounts have to be resolved by respective nodal agencies, which are responsible for taking appropriate action,” it said.
Delhi has been battling pollution due to stubble burning and pollution from vehicles, firecrackers, construction activities among others. Last week, the Supreme Court-appointed Environment Pollution Control Authority chairperson Bhure Lal also lashed out at enforcement agencies, alleging that Delhi’s civic and urban bodies are not properly implementing the orders issued to curb pollution. Enforcing agencies were completely dormant, he said, adding that agencies such as the DDA and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi were engaged in a blame game without tackling the issue.