PUNE: It has been three years since the Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC) has published an environment status report (ESR).

The ESR helps citizens, environmental activists and urban planners get
information about the development of the city and its impact on the
environment. The Pune Municipal Corporation
(PMC) has been very particular about publishing the report, which is
made public every year before the government stipulated deadline of July
31. However, the PCMC has failed to learn from its neighbour.

Since last three years, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB)

too has made efforts to improve the quality of ESRs. Importantly, the
board has recommended that citizens and experts be involved in preparing
the report. Besides, it wants the report to provide an action plan for
tackling challenges ahead for the environment.

Sanjay Kulkarni,
an executive engineer with the environment cell of PCMC, said, “Earlier
the health department prepared the ESRs. But now the environment cell
will do the job. A consultant has been appointed for preparing the
reports for the next three years.”

The health department did
prepare the report for about three years. However, in the last two
years, it has blamed other departments for not providing the required
information. “The draft ESR for the next three years will be ready by
May-June every year. The cost of preparing the report will be Rs 15 lakh
every year. The consultant has been told that the ESR should not prove
to be just a status report, but should give information about time-bound
measures that need to be taken to improve the environment.”

Vikas Patil, president of Paryavaran Sanvardhan Samiti said, “By not
preparing the ESRs for the past three years, the PCMC has proved its
negligence towards environment and its cause. The MPCB has the powers to
take action against civic bodies that do not prepare the ESRs. So, it
is time to act against the PCMC.”

Patil said the PCMC had formed
an environmental cell two years back. “Last year, the environmental
cell assured us that it will prepare the ESR by July 2012. But it has
not done so. If the environment cell has decided to get all its work
done through contractors, then it is better to close down it down,” said
Patil.

Eom/siddharth gaikwad