After pilgrims, Haridwar attracts industrial units

The holy city Haridwar has emerged as a key industrial destination of northern India with the setting up of an integrated industrial estate (IIE), which has so far attracted an investment of Rs 5,596.72 core.

About 551 industries, including big firms like ITC and Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M), are setting up shops in this industrial estate, which is the first in Uttarakhand to be developed by the State Industrial Development Corporation of Uttaranchal Ltd (SIDCUL) at 1,468 acres ever since the new industrial package came in January 2003.

Haridwar industrial estate has a total of 822 plots. While 201 companies, including Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) and M & M, have already started production, another 345 have started construction work.

Hero Honda is investing Rs 1,596 crore in its new manufacturing unit. Ancillaries of Hero Honda are also investing Rs 320 crore in their units in Haridwar.

While ITC is setting up a food and personal care product unit with an investment of Rs 125 crore, HUL has established a cosmetics and toiletries production unit with an investment of Rs 102 crore.

Top officials claimed nearly 50,000 people would get employment opportunities in the estate. "This figure may vary but certainly people are getting lot of offers from these companies," said an state industrial department official.

New Delhi-based Gherzi Eastern Ltd is developing the industrial estate as a supervisory and consultancy agency.

For maintaining power load requirement which comes around 120 Mw, the government has set up a separate 220 KV substation with two independent feeders. In addition to this, six small 33/11 KV sub-stations are also being installed.

A central effluent treatment plant is also being set up to fulfil the environmental norms. "We are providing all basic facilities that are necessary for a good industrial estate," said the official.

The government is also providing facilities like office buildings, shopping mall, plaza, recreation facilities, hotels and restaurants, banks and ATM counters, transport plaza, information kiosks and IT/Telecom centres.

Meanwhile, the government has taken no decision regarding the allotment of five plots which are lying vacant in Haridwar. "Though a ban on the allotment on these plots has been lifted, we have not taken any decision on the future move," said an official of the Industry department here.