Hypocrisy of West Bengal Pollution Control Board

We all are aware that West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) becomes very active against sound crackers during Diwali & Chatt Puja but goes into hibernation during Sab-e-Barat. It claims it’s jihad against sound crackers for pollution free state and no wonder, they get support from some cheer leaders, who never question it’s inaction during Muslim festivals, in this mission to save the planet. Now, let’s see how serious the West Bengal Pollution Control Board itself in its own activities.

I filed a RTI to WBPCB which was received at their office on 3rd of March, 2015. I waited for some time for them to respond and finally got an acknowledgement letter dated 27th March, 2015. After that, there was no communication for months. After waiting for 3 months for them to respond, I finally approached the Appellate Authority with my letter dated 3rd June, 2015. Only after my letter to the Appellate Authority, they bothered to respond and after going through the data provided by them, I could easily understand what they were trying to hide.

WBPCB which seize sound crackers during Diwali & Chatt Puja has their 61 out 70 rooms in the Paribesh Bhawan, their head office at Salt Lake, air conditioned. 9 out of 27 rooms in their Kankinara office and 6 out of 20 rooms in their Durgapur office are also air conditioned. 

WBPCB must have knowledge that the refrigerant chemicals inside of air conditioners can destroy the ozone layer when released, yet it could not stop buying 6 (six) new ACs within the span of 1st April 2010 to 31st March 2015 under Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management Project despite having the following – 

At Paribesh Bhawan – 

1TR x 02 Nos. 1.5TR x 24 Nos. 2TR x 23 Nos. 3TR x 11 Nos. 30TR x 01 Nos. and 60TR x 02 Nos.

At Kankinara Office –
2TR x 01 Nos. and 11TR x 02 Nos.

At Durgapur office – 

1.5TR x 04 Nos. and 11TR x 02 Nos.

I expect that WBPCB is aware that air conditioners consume a large amount of electricity, which is usually powered by burning coal that releases greenhouse gases, causes acid rain, and has been mined in a way that isn't good for the environment, yet there is no effort on their side to minimize it. The electricity bill for the Paribesh Bhawan for last 04 (four) years have always has upward trend. It was Rs.39,06,894.00 in the year 2011-12, Rs.55,44,505.00 in the year 2012-13, Rs.62,74,073.00 in the year 2013-14 and Rs.64,67,159.00 in the year 2014-15. Now, consider the trend of another office at Kankinara which has air conditioned rooms. It was Rs.2,11,499.00 in the year 2010-11. Rs.4,09,199.00 in the year 2011-12. Rs.4,90,982.00 in the year 2012-13. Rs.5,82,180.00 in the year 2013-14 and Rs.22,39,375.00 in the year 2014-15. Almost four times increase in a year, can you believe? This is not the only branch office which has made such huge leap, all the offices have made such grand performance and that’s why the total amount paid towards electricity across the was Rs.88,09,868.00 in the year 2013-14 and for the year 2014-15, the amount was Rs.3,64,55,717.00

I can provide you a few more information that will further bewilder you but at the end of the day, can we still believe that the over-activism by the WBPCB to seize sound crackers during Diwali & Chatt Puja is having the solely intended for a pollution free environment or do they also have turned themselves into a puppet in the hands of their political bosses just like their counterparts in police? Talking of police, in my next post, I shall expose that police is also involved in this dirty game of seizing sound crackers during Hindu festivals.