25% posts still lying vacant in HSPCB, pollution checks tough

Gurgaon: As winter approaches, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) confronts challenges in addressing the state's escalating pollution levels due to a persistent dearth of manpower with critical tasks being compromised.
Despite ongoing recruitment endeavours over the past five months, the board has been unable to fill 25% of its vacant positions, including 29 assistant environmental engineers, 17 junior environmental engineers and five scientists.
This staffing deficit has severely impeded the HSPCB's ability to effectively combat air pollution, a perennial issue in Haryana, especially during the winters when pollution levels typically surge, even as the board has frequently cited the paucity of personnel as a major hurdle in its environmental protection efforts.
On the other hand, the persistent vacancies have also raised grave concerns about the HSPCB's capacity to fulfill its mandate.
The shortage of assistant and junior environmental engineers, as well as scientists, signifies that critical tasks such as monitoring pollution levels, enforcing regulations and implementing pollution control measures are being compromised.
The situation was brought to light in a petition filed before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last year, which underscored that over 60% of staff positions at the HSPCB were vacant.
In response to the petition, the HSPCB informed the NGT that recruitment processes for the vacant positions are underway.
However, the magnitude of the recruitment efforts necessitated a request for a three-month period, made in April, to report on the progress of filling these posts.
Despite these efforts, the board has only managed to fill 35% of its vacant positions, leaving 303 out of 481 posts still unoccupied across all 22 districts. The tribunal was hearing a petition by activist Varun Gulati.
Pulled up over its efforts in fighting foul air at various platforms, the pollution control board has often cited lack of manpower as the reason.
"A large number of posts in HSPCB were lying vacant and hence, the issue of filling of the posts arose. Let a fresh report be filed at least one week before the next date of hearing," stated the April 10 order issued by an NGT bench comprising Prakash Shrivastava, chairperson, Sudhir Agarwal, judicial magistrate, and Dr A Senthil Vel, expert member.
According to an HSPCB report, the preliminary examination for the assistant environmental engineer position was conducted by Haryana State Public Service Commission (HSPSC) on April 7 and the recruitment process is still ongoing.
In addition, HSPSC has already conducted an examination for junior environmental engineers. These officials are responsible for monitoring air quality levels, carrying out inspections, conducting surprise checks and collecting samples. They are also authorised to impose penalties and initiate criminal prosecution against violators.