Vadodara

A delegation of Ankleshwar Industries Association (AIA) has urged Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar to review the status of the industrial zone, which currently falls under the ‘critically polluted’ zone.

The industrial zone in Bharuch district, around 100 kms away from here, was earmarked under “critically polluted” category by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2010.

Secretary of AIA Jashubhai Chaudhary told PTI that a delegation met Javdekar yesterday in Bharuch and sought review of the current status of pollution level in the zone, which they claim has fallen due to the effective measures undertaken by the industries in the past five years.

He said the minister has assured that a CPCB team will visit Ankleshwar next week.

The industrial region, which comprise Ankleshwar, Jhagadiya and Panoli, was in January, 2010, earmarked under ‘critically polluted’ category by the CPCB, thus, banning the setting up of new units and expansion of the existing factories.

The decision was taken after a review of the zone, which has several chemical units, where pollution levels were found to be high.

He said they have submitted a memorandum to Javadekar in this regard.

“Industries in the last five years have invested Rs 800 crore to install pollution control equipments, and took steps to control air pollution,” one of the delegates, NK Navadia, said.

He said in the wake of the rising pollution levels in the zone, industry owners were asked to stringently adhere to norms laid to protect the environment.

CPCB had found Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI) in the zone at 88.5 in 2009 and 85.60 in 2010, which were higher than acceptable CEPI norms of 70 value.

PTI