Overview
- The CAG report, tabled Wednesday in the Maharashtra Assembly, says the regulator failed to curb widespread violations by industries.
- Capacity gaps hobbled oversight, with only 147 of 329 field officers in post in 2022–23, inspection shortfalls of 53.5% to 68.35%, and half of 16,424 consent applications cleared after 60 days.
- Auditors saw untreated effluent and sewage released into water bodies, with 5,033 of 12,319 samples failing standards and many plants lacking working treatment units or online monitors.
- Common Effluent Treatment Plants were checked on too few parameters, and 14 connected units discharged above limits for five to 37 months without action by regional offices.
- Financial enforcement faltered, with 2,678 bank guarantees worth ₹272.47 crore not held in physical form, ₹183.25 crore in environmental compensation unrecovered, and ₹7.56 crore short charged in consent fees.