New Delhi, The Delhi Pollution Control Committee has utilised only around 43 per cent of the Environmental Compensation fund collected over the past decade, according to information obtained under the Right to Information Act.
The fund, collected from fines on pollution-causing entities, is primarily used for ecological restoration and mitigation of pollution in the national capital.
The RTI filed by environmental activist Amit Gupta has revealed that ₹158.88 crore was collected between 2015-16 and 2025-2026, and only ₹68.07 crore was spent during the same period.
Year-wise data shared in the RTI reply showed that collections were highest in 2025-26 at ₹36.53 crore, while expenditure peaked in 2024-25 at ₹35.93 crore, marking a sharp spike compared to previous years.
The data showed that in 2015-16, ₹3.58 crore was collected, and only ₹71 lakh was spent. Whereas in 2016-17, ₹16.74 crore was collected, and ₹1.29 crore was utilised. In 2017-18, ₹3.42 crore was collected, and ₹2.55 crore was spent, and in the following year, 2018-19, ₹5.60 crore was collected, and only ₹1.34 crore was utilised.
In 2019-20, collections rose to ₹19.84 crore and ₹1.39 crore spent, while ₹9.17 crore was collected in 2020-21 and ₹2.90 crore utilised. The figures for 2021-22 showed ₹16.84 crore collected and ₹1.23 crore spent, and for 2022-23, ₹19.14 crore collected and ₹1.45 crore utilised.
The RTI data further showed that ₹11.32 crore was collected in 2023-24, of which ₹7.84 crore was spent. In 2024-25, ₹16.63 crore was collected and ₹35.93 crore utilised. In 2025-26 up to February, ₹36.53 crore was collected while ₹11.38 crore was spent.
The DPCC, however, did not provide details of the specific works or projects on which the funds were spent, the RTI reply said.
“Why is such a large amount not being utilised? Where is the money parked? What environmental work has actually been carried out on the ground?” Gupta said, questioning the underutilisation of funds meant for pollution control in Delhi.
“The city is consistently among the most polluted in the country, yet nearly 57 per cent of the allocated or collected funds remain unspent. This is not a question of shortage of money, but of lack of long-term vision and planning,” the activist added.
The pollution control boards impose Environmental Compensation as fines on industrial units and other entities causing pollution, based on the “Polluter Pays Principle”. The penalty is imposed to deter environmental damage and is often based on the CPCB guidelines, with funds deposited into a designated DPCC account.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
