Ahmedabad

Central team in Gujarat to review the critical zone attached to industrial areas in Ahmedabad’s Vatva and south Gujarat’s Vapi paid surprise visit to Ankleshwar which is also tagged as critically polluted zone.

New industrial units and expansion of existing industrial units are not granted environment clearance if they are in the limits of critically polluted zone area declared by the central government.

After a visit of union Environment and Forest minister (MoEF) Prakash Javdekar in Ankleshwar early this month,and representation made to him for removal of critically polluted zone tag, a central government team this week visited Vatva in Ahmedabad and Vapi in south Gujarat and held meetings with pollution control board officials, state government officials and local industrialists. The team also paid surprise visit to Ankleshwar.

The team included MoEF Joint Secretary Manojkumar Singh among others. The team first watched presentation at Ankleshwar Udyog Mandal office and later also visited the estate. The team also visited ETL waste site.

There are over 2000 industrial units in Ankleshwar-Panoli estate. It is understood that permissible CoD level limit has been raised from 250 to 500 for industrial units.

Meanwhile in a meeting with the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry(GCCI) held in Ahmedabad, a representation was made before union MoEF joint secretary Manoj Kumar Singh, senior scientist Gautamkumar, CPCB’s Pratikkumar and others that Common Effluent Treatment Plant and other such sites that are built to protect environment must be out of the public hearing process. When such sites are developed for environment protection purpose, why there should be public hearing process for them? This question was asked by GCCI office bearers.

– DeshGujarat