BENGALURU: At least 50 per cent of the posts at the Central Environmental Laboratories of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in the city and eight regional laboratories throughout the state are lying vacant.
“The shortage is across technical and non-technical posts,” a highly placed official said. Particularly crucial in nature are vacant posts of scientific officers, who are meant to head the regional laboratories, forcing assistant scientific officers to fill in their shoes.
Out of a sanctioned strength of 142 personnel in the state, only 68 posts are filled. The unfilled 74 posts are spread across the central lab in the city (at Manjunath Nagar in Sivanahalli) and the regional labs at Mysuru, Dharwad, Mangaluru, Davangere, Kalaburagi, Raichur, Hassan and Belagavi, the official said.
The irony is that the labs are well equipped with analytical instruments for various tests, the source said. The labs carry out 16 kinds of sample analyses, including water samples, stack (chimney) emissions and solid waste. Their results are crucial in determining the pollution levels. The laboratory is accredited by the National Accreditation Board for Laboratories and in trying to obtain recognition under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The labs assessed 65,400 samples in 2013-2014 and 66,300 samples in 2014-2015, according to the Board’s annual reports.
On how the shortage hampers functioning, the official said, “More samples can be analysed if the strength is full. We can function in a much better manner.” The waiting period for results by numerous organisations can be cut down. There is, of course, no compromise on the quality of our output, he said and added, “We are managing somehow with outsourced staff.”
The last recruitment drive was held in 2010. The process went into litigation and the posts were finally filled up in 2013. The need to reserve posts for natives of Hyderabad-Karnataka region in offices coming under the region has also delayed the recruitment process.
Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology B Ramanath Rai, who recently visited the KSPCB head office, has assured that steps will be taken up soon to fill the vacancies.
