Displacement dismay for two major industrial centres in Chhattisgarh

Two major industrial centres housing more about 600 medium and small units at the outskirts of Chhattisgarh capital would be displaced to other location.

The centres include Siltara and Urla. The important decision was taken at the 32nd state board meeting of Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board (CECB).

Additional Chief Secretary (ACS) Housing and Environment Department, and CECB Chairman N Baijendra Kumar chaired the meeting. A board official said the move to shift the industrial areas had been planned to control industrial pollution in the capital city and adjoining areas. In the meeting, the matter came up for discussion that the industrialists in Siltara and Urla were ignoring the norms and not taking required measures to check pollution.

"The plan would be given final shape only after discussion with the industrialists and the associations concerned," the official added. Member Secretary of CECB Devendra Singh had been authorized to hold discussions with the industrialists and prepare a proposal that would be sent to the state government. The report would underline other details including the cost that the state government had to incur for the process.

If the decision taken by the board got translated into action, the oldest industrial growth centres of Chhattisgarh would find a new address. Urla industrial area was set up about 25 years ago and have about 550 small and medium units engaged in steel, aluminium, zinc, power, cement, production. The Siltara industrial area also came into being at the same time. Rs 716 crore had been invested in centre, spread over an area of about 1185 hectares.