Syllabus: Important aspects of governance, transparency and accountability
Overview
- Policy strength depends on credibility of data it rests on.
- Two failures in India’s environmental monitoring: Delhi’s Real-Time Air Pollution Network, Lucknow’s National Ambient Noise Monitoring Network exposes weaknesses in India’s environmental monitoring, eroding public trust and international credibility.
Delhi’s Air Pollution Monitoring: Key Issues
- Flawed Infrastructure
- CAG found major flaws in Delhi’s air network.
- Sensors placed under trees and near walls gave distorted readings. Many were located in cleaner areas, falsely showing “moderate” air quality despite visible smog.
- Governance Concern
- Unreliable data undermines policy on stubble burning, transport, and industrial pollution.
- Distorted evidence weakens India’s Paris and WHO commitments, making policy direction ineffective.
Lucknow’s Noise Pollution Monitoring: Key Issues
- 2017 CPCB data showed excessive noise in major cities. The Environment Minister acknowledged serious urban noise-control gaps in Parliament.
- System Flaws
- Lucknow’s network fails to record real decibel levels.
- Noise Rules 2000 are outdated, below WHO norms, with weak enforcement and negligible penalties.
- Technology Without Discipline
- Monitoring lacks scientific rigour.
- Misleading “moderate” readings hide hazardous exposure, favouring inaction and ignoring citizens’ right to health.
Missing Pillars of Accountability
- CPCB guidelines on sensor setup and calibration remain poorly enforced.
- Despite costly sensors, no independent audit or review exists.
- Political influence and lack of transparency erode public confidence.
Health Impact
- If Delhi met WHO air standards, life expectancy would rise by 8.2 years.
- Across India, pollution cuts life by about 5 years.
- Misleading data conceals health damage to children and vulnerable groups.
Way Forward
- Monitoring must be science-based with expert oversight, open data, and citizen audits.
- Real-time systems must reflect real conditions otherwise, they deceive the public and weaken accountability.
Q- Analyze the constitutional and legal dimensions of environmental monitoring failures. How do misleading data affect citizens’ fundamental rights under Articles 19 and 21? (15 Marks)