Gujarat acts on critically polluted clusters

Ahmedabad, March 20 (IANS) After the state pollution control board declared eight clusters of Gujarat as critically polluted, an action plan has been rolled out to ensure that industrial units in these areas comply with the laid down norms, an official said Saturday.

According to Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) official, efforts were being initiated  to improve the situation in the clusters of Bhavnagar, Vatwa, Odhav, Ankleshvar, Vapi, Naroda, Narol and Junagadh.

"The plan includes upgradation of plants to comply with norms, a more stringent scrutiny of zero discharge claimants and extending a helping hand to units to comply with industrial norms.

"We are roping in respective industry associations in a big way to ensure that the situation is remedied at the earliest lest the industrial activity will suffer a blow due to restrictions," the official said.

The Central Pollution Control body came down heavily on Gujarat as part of its nationwide campaign to address spiraling industrial pollution. Providing relief to Vadodara, Rajkot and Surat, it kept eight industrial clusters in the critically polluted list and banned new units  there.

"Gujarat must now initiate immediate steps to improve the situation in these clusters to get the ban lifted. Stringent checks are in the offing to decrease pollution levels. These include micro-management  steps at all levels to ensure concrete results in a short duration," said R.G. Shah, GPCB member secretary.