Only 13% of Rs 171-cr fine realised from Punjab urban bodies in four years

The information was shared by the board in reply to a Right to Information Act (RTI) application to activist Kamal Anand.

The board said it imposed a staggering ₹171.18 crore in compensation on 166 urban local bodies between April 1, 2021, and December 31, 2025.

However, the recovery rate remained dismal, with only ₹21.87 crore (roughly 12.7 per cent) deposited by the local bodies.

The reply further showed that while Punjab suffers from non-implementation of waste management protocols, the PPCB is accumulating interest on the money collected through the penalties. The Board has earned ₹2 crore in interest by keeping the amount funds in bank accounts.

“As of December 31, 2025, a total of ₹9.37 crore remains idle in bank accounts,” claimed Anand.

Of the collected funds, the Punjab Municipal Infrastructure Development Company (PMIDC) spent only ₹14.48 crore, largely for legacy waste remediation in Ludhiana.

In contrast, spending on public awareness is negligible — only ₹1 lakh was spent in 2022-23 for a single vermicompost workshop.

The RTI findings also cast doubt on official waste processing claims. While PPCB reports to the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) suggest that 4,833.09 tonnes per day (TPD) of waste is treated, the data provided to Anand under the RTI reveals that actual monitoring of waste processing and landfill sites is conducted in only two cities — Ludhiana and Hoshiarpur.

Further, a significant transparency gap remains regarding the private sector. Despite a specific order passed by the Member Secretary of the PPCB, the board is yet to provide information regarding the environmental cess and compensation imposed on industries and other private institutions.