Ministry Seeks Industrys Help In Pollution Control

The environment & forests ministry wants industry to implement ISO-14000 rating to minimise pollution hazards. The ministry has invited proposals from various sectors, especially the cement industry, to lay down norms and set efficiency standards.

Disclosing this on the occasion of the World Environment Day at the Tata Energy Research Institute (Teri) in New Delhi yesterday, environment & forests secretary Vishwanath Anand called for active participation by industry in ensuring sustainable development with regard to the environment.

Minister for environment and forests Saifuddin Soz yesterday released Ecomark, which would indicate environment-friendly products.

The label will be awarded to consumer products that meet specific environment criteria and specifications.

 

These specifications will be laid down by the Bureau of Indian Standards.

Earlier, speaking at a seminar organised by Teri, the minister said a number of initiatives have been taken to steer the country towards the basic premise of sustainable development and provision of ecological security for the future generation.

Soz added that the thrust of these initiatives had been on providing a policy framework to realise conservation and sustainable use of resources, a regulatory framework to make polluters pay, and an institutional framework to place power in the hands of the people.

Soz also called for a rededication to the protection and wise management of environment urging introspection of past activities and to put our minds together to arrive at certain broad guidelines and plans of action.

The rich out of greed and the poor out of need have been reckless in plundering the Earths assets, he said, adding that the inherent conflict was not between conservation and development but between environment and reckless exploitation of resources in the name of development.

Anand said it was ironic that the concept of development was going out and setting up projects keeping only the uplift of economic standards in mind resulted in the degradation of environment.

He added that it was only in the mid-1970s that the authorities began realising the need for integrating environment in development process. The secretary said the country was faced with the dilemma of achieving development in a sustainable manner.

Anand said there was no dichotomy between industry being efficient and environment-friendly at the same time. He pointed out lack of credible policies lead to neglect of the environment.