A performance audit conducted by the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) for the period 2009-14 has revealed that the Water Resources Department (DoWR), which has mandate to plan, develop, utilise and manage water resources, has failed on many respects.
The DoWR implements irrigation projects with funds provided by the Centre and the State Government. The Centre launched Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP) in 1996-97 to accelerate implementation of large irrigation projects.
“The Performance Audit revealed that the projects still suffered time and cost overrun due to delay in acquisition of land, finalisation of drawing and design and clearance of project site etc. With escalating expenditure on projects, proportion of benefits likely to accrue declined and some projects ran the risk of becoming unviable. Instances of calculation of Benefit Cost Ratios (BCRs) not holding good were also noticed,” the report tabled in the Assembly on Thursday said.
“Monitoring and internal control needed improvement. Financial implication by way of cost escalation and other deficiencies worked out to Rs 3,157.97 crore. As a result of delay in completion of projects, people of the State were deprived of assured irrigation facility to that extent,” the report said.
The CAG’s environment audit on air and water pollution in Odisha conducted for the period 2009-14 revealed that environmental degradation, air and water pollution in the State are of global significance. It was observed that Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index scores remained at critical level at Angul-Talcher, Ib-Valley and Jharsuguda. Operation of stone crusher units without Consent to Establish (CTE)/ Consent to Operate (CTO), delay in upgradation of Pollution Control Equipment (PCE) by Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) to achieve the desired stack emission norm were observed. The State Transport Authority also failed to check vehicular pollution in the State.
“There were deficiencies in monitoring of water quality. Untreated sewage water of Urban local Bodies (UlBs) was discharged to nearby water bodies accompanied by untreated effluents of industrial units due to absence of effluent treatment plants (ETPs),” it said.
“Water samples of three tributaries of Mahanadi near Cuttack and Bhubaneswar were checked in State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) laboratory and showed non compliance to norms in respect of Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Dissolved Oxygen (DO) and Total Coliform (TC). This apart, relaxation of norms in consent administration, non implementation of Continuous Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) and Online Emission Monitoring Systems (OEMS) indicated areas for improvement by SPCB. Besides, absence of complete database of all sources of pollution, their timely monitoring and issue of conditional consents have resulted in a need to put in far more concerted efforts,” the report said.
The CAG’s performance audit report on disaster management paints a very disheartening picture too. It said the State Disaster Mitigation Authority (SDMA) constituted in October 2010 after a delay of five years of enactment of Disaster Management Act 2005 under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister for overseeing activities relating to disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, relief and reconstruction, did not meet till July 2013.
The State Government also failed to incorporate disaster management plan into the development planning process due to non-preparation of State Disaster Management Plan (SDMP) till July 2013 as envisaged in the Disaster Management Act 2005. SDMP was, however, prepared in August 2013.
“Though early warning mechanism and communication systems for disaster preparedness were in place, the system was not effective due to inadequate staff and non-functioning of machinery. Relief, rehabilitation and reconstruction measures had gaps as payments of Rs 49.59 lakh were made for rice without actual distribution; relief materials valuing Rs 10.26 crore were issued without acquittance roll and beneficiary lists and rice got damaged due to improper storing etc. There was delay of six to nine months in providing relief to affected people and dal being basic food, was not distributed in relief operation,” the CAG said.
During cyclone Phailin that struck the State in October 2013, though the Government could save human life through early warning system and administration of evacuation to safer place, more could have been done to save the livestock which is main livelihood of the affected population, the report said.
“Further, the post disaster relief and restoration/ reconstruction measures undertaken by the Government were not comprehensive. There were cases of inequitable distribution of relief and short distribution of relief material. Restoration was not adequate due to delay in restoration of power infrastructure, piped water supply system, roads, irrigation canals and lift Irrigation Projects affecting Rabi crops/ agriculture in the affected districts. Besides, input subsidy for loss of crop was not paid and artisans were not adequately compensated for loss of livelihood,” the CAG said.
Stating that there was improper financial management as Rs 29.46 crore was sanctioned from CRF/ SDRF towards disaster preparedness in violation of Central norms, the CAG said Utilisation Certificates (UCs) for Rs 1,456.42 crore were pending from executing agencies and Collectors against the release of fund of Rs 3,455.80 crore during 2007-13.