A nation as large as India, does not suffer from dearth of resources—we have enough. But, what we do not have is a will to utilise our funds judiciously, with adequate provisions for transparency and accountability. On one end, with huge environmental challenges before us, we find that in 2011-12, the Annual Plan outlay for the sponsored schemes of government of India for this sector amounted to a meagre 0.028 per cent of the GDP. On the other even this paltry sum is not utilised. Year after year, more than half of the sum allocated is returned on various pretexts.

Funding falls under two broad heads—environment and ecology; and forestry and wildlife. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), which is in the purview of the former, has been allocated Rs 510 crore for the entire 12th Plan period. Common understanding would lead to an assumption that CPCB would spend about a 100 crore annually for the maintenance of the India’s health - although that too seems a pittance. But, to spend just about 30 crore on a yearly basis is a sad commentary on the headless (as it has no chairman) chief national body mandated to control and monitor pollution in the country. This issue brings to light such and many other concerns that needs urgent redressal. Happy reading.