An industry intending to set up a new plant in Gujarat will have to carry out bio-diversity survey within 1 acre of proposed unit minimum through expert. We are going to bring this new provision as part of feasibility exercise for new plant,” Shri SK Nanda, Principal Secretary, Forest and Environment department, Government of Gujarat told journalist on the sidelines of a workshop organized by Gujarat Ecology Commission in Ahmedabad.

“The industrial unit will have to employ a bio-diversity expert to carry out survey of all kinds of living things within the area of at least 1 acre around the plant. The living things could be plant, tree, grass, fishes, animals, insects, anything,” Shri Nanda added.

Nanda said if the unit is caught for polluting the environment in future, the government would be able to trace what was the situation around the unit at the time of set-up.