The West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) wants an independent force – with a team of law enforcing personnel – to crack down on defaulters in pollution-related cases. Talks are already on in the matter, an official of the board said.
According to the plan under discussion, the force will have a police superintendent, three deputy superintendents of police, five inspectors, 10 sub-inspectors and 50 constables. The numbers are currently under discussion.
Green activists have lauded the effort saying it will help crack down on cases faster and more effectively. There is provision for a full-time assistant director-general in the PCB under the Environment Protection Act. But that rule is often ignored.
Some officials though, feel that inclusion of police in the WBPCB and their intervention in the activities of such an organisation which is primarily composed of scientists and experts may hamper the work environment. However, most green activists feel that the lack of an effective force in implementing the environment rules on the ground is the main drawback of the organisation, and thus including police personnel in the body can give it more teeth.
If the WBPCB has its own police force, it can function entirely under its supervision and there would be no external control. In a recent sound pollution case, the National Green Tribunal has directed the PCB to employ a DSP or an SP to check sound pollution. The body has also been directed by the NGT to open a 24-hour helpline to raise awareness and receive complaints.
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