Gujarat industries need 'cleaner production': Patel

Ahmedabad, Oct 9 (UNI) Industries in Gujarat need to adopt 'cleaner production' techniques as an effective environmental tool, said Environment and Forests Minister Mangu Patel here today.

Addressing a one-day national level workshop on 'Past Achievements in Cleaner Production and Future Strategies for its Acceleration Promotion', Mr Patel said 'cleaner production' as a tool will combat environmental pollution as opposed to more expensive end-of-pipe treatment technologies such as effluent treatment plants (ETP) and gaseous emission control systems.

He appreciated the efforts of organisations like Gujarat Cleaner Production Centre (GCPC) and other industrial associations actively involved in propagating 'cleaner production' in the state.

Rapid industrialisation has led to significant environmental pollution, Gujarat Pollution Control Board Chairman C L Meena said.

Today 'cleaner production' and in turn clean development mechanism is considered to be among the best environmental tools to improve environmental performance of industries and also earn carbon credits alongside, he added.

'Cleaner production' will lead to sustainable development, Forests and Environment Department (FED) Principal Secretary P N Roy Chowdhury said. He also discussed various strategies, that FED has adopted, to propagate 'cleaner production' in Gujarat. He appreciated the relevance of conducting one-day national level workshops to understand the concept of previous 'cleaner production' activities carried out throughout India and also to develop future strategies for accelerated 'cleaner production' promotion.

FED (Environment) Director J K Vyas, Gandhinagar National Productivity Council Regional Director R Virendra also participated in the workshop that ended with experts chalking out a strategy for promoting the 'cleaner production' culture in various industries of the state.

UNI