The Gujarat Chief Minister today asked the Centre to lift the ban imposed on setting up new projects or expansion of existing ones in 'critically polluted' industrial clusters of the state.
The matter was taken up by Chief Minister Anandiben Patel, who wants the ban lifted in the clusters of Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vatva (in Ahmedabad) to facilitate further industrial activities in these areas, where she claimed pollution levels have come down "drastically".
Speaking at a conference on chemical industry here, she assured the sector representatives she will personally take up the matter with the Centre during her visit to Delhi on November 6.
As Union Minister of State for Chemicals and Fertilisers Hansraj Ahir and Secretary in the Ministry Surjit Chaudhary were also present during the event, Patel asked them to do the needful in this regard.
They were here to take part in the inaugural function of the 4th edition of International Exhibition and Conference on Speciality, Fine Chemicals and Agro Chemicals.
"I request you (Ahir and Chaudhary) to solve this issue at the earliest. Due to this ban, many workers have been rendered jobless. If no decision comes from the Centre by November 6, I will take up the issue during my visit to Delhi on that day," said Patel.
In 2010, when Congress-led UPA was in power, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had identified these three industrial clusters as the most polluted places in India and imposed a ban on setting up any new project or expansion of existing projects till the situation improves.
Today, several industrialists of these three clusters attended the meet at Mahatma Mandir and made a representation to the Chief Minister about the problems faced by them.
Responding to their representation, Patel said her Government will try its best to see that the ban is lifted.
"The Centre imposed the ban after they found high level of pollution in these three clusters. But now, the pollution levels have decreased drastically. New data have been collected and sent for analysis. We will try our best to see that the ban is lifted at the earliest."
Patel also asked the industries to stop discharging their hazardous chemical waste without treatment.
"I urge the industry to refrain from causing pollution. Don't discharge your waste in open without treating it. I know it is still being done. One such plant was caught doing so yesterday. Take the help of Government, which provides assistance in waste treatment.
