The union environment ministry Wednesday lifted the moratorium on developmental projects in eight critically polluted industrial clusters including Gujarat’s Bhavnagar.

According to a ministry statement the moratorium was lifted for projects in Ludhiana in Punjab, Varanasi-Mirzapur and Agra in Uttar Pradesh, Bhavnagar in Gujarat, Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu and Dombivali, Aurangabad and Navi-Mumbai in Maharashtra.

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had identified 43 industrial clusters in various states as critically polluted, based on the parameters related to incidence of pollution in water, land and air.

The moratorium was lifted in the eight clusters including Gujarat’s Vapi, based on recommendations received from the CPCB, the ministry said, adding that the board is awaiting reports from five other areas.

The verification of project implementation in another 25 critically polluted areas including Gujarat’s Ankleshwar is under way and is expected to be completed within four weeks after which a decision will be taken on the lifting of the moratorium there.

The government imposed a temporary moratorium Jan 13, 2010 on projects, including those in the pipeline for clearance, in these clusters till Aug 30.

The states were asked to submit a remediation plan to check the pollution to the central pollution control board by July 31.