Adopt new technologies to cut pollution, industry told

Bijendra Ahlawat

Tribune News Service

Faridabad, November 1

The ban on use of pet coke and furnace oil and a fine on six units by the NGT recently seems to have come as an eye-opener for a section of the industry, which has expressed concern over the slow adoption to new technologies to address pollution.

Several units in one of the most polluted cities of North India face closure in view of violations. Rajive Chawla, chairman of the Integrated Association of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises of India, said it was now or never as the industrial fraternity was at the crossroads.

“We must adopt changes in tune with new standards or face closure,” he told members in a mail today. He cited the recent ban on pet coke and furnace oil and penalty on dyeing and electroplating units.

He said the industry could not depend on so-called saviours in the political and legal arenas if they failed to handle the growing and ever-changing environmental standards. A majority of units could not hire expensive lawyers and end up spending their earnings on short-lived means, he said.

He asserted that it was better to spend wisely on new techniques. Survival of the nimble was perhaps the best suited slogan for the industry, he added.

Navdeep Chawla, former president of the Faridabad Industries Association, called upon entrepreneurs to change their strategy. He said outdated technology must be replaced as the clean environment issue was crucial.

Col S Kapoor, executive director of the association, said pollution norms were being upgraded at a fast pace and the industry would have to act before it was too late. With air quality in the hazardous zone in mornings and evenings, Faridabad was the second most polluted city in the NCR.

“The authorities are required to adopt more stringent measures to check air, water and noise pollution,” said Varun Sheokand, social activist. The city had over 20,000 industrial units, he pointed out.