Policy to help environment friendly industrial growth

Kolkata, June 5 (UNI) State Environment Minister Mohanta Chatterjee today declared an ''Industrial Site Policy'' will be undertaken to ensure that pollution level is contained and the environment protected in spite of the rapid industrialisation in West Bengal.

Addressing the gathering on World Environment Day at a function organised by the Department of Environment and West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB) here, Mr Chatterjee said, '' There are several big projects coming up all across the state and many of them are in red or extra red category. So an industrial site policy will be in place to keep a watch on the environment friendliness of the projects. '' Mr Chatterjee, who had taken charge barely a month back with the new Ministry joining office, also declared a host of other environment friendly policies that tops his list to action.

'' Preserving the wetlands is one of the biggest challenges.

Besides the East Calcutta Wetlands Management Act and some of the acts under the fisheries department, extra importance is being given so that wetlands do not disappear from other parts of the state, '' he said.

''Some stringent laws and policy formation are also in the pipeline to stop filling of wetlands,'' he added.

He also proposed some innovative ideas to curb automobile pollution. '' In co-operation with the transport department not only steps will be taken to maintain the condition of the vehicles, plans are afoot to provide pollution free certificates to vehicles that they will need to produce at petrol pumps for refill. '' ''Auto emission will be checked and the environment bettered at all cost,'' he vowed.

Mr Chatterjee also said steps will be taken to seal the illegal plastic factories which is bio-hazardous. Besides this awareness programmes will also be taken to spread consciousness about environment and pollution at the grassroots level in panchayats and zilla parishads.

Tourism Minister Manabendra Mukherjee said that a mix will have to be generated so that industrial progress and safe environment can go hand in hand.

'' The state government is committed to its slogan of food and oxygen for all and we will stick to it, '' he said.

He also took the chance to criticise the Centre's policy of centralising the activities and power of the Pollution Control Board. The Minister was apprehensive, saying, '' This could give rise to back-door policies and bring back the license raj. '' He, however, hoped the Centre will revert its decisions and give more power to the respective state Pollution Control Boards to do their work more effectively.

WBPCB Chairman Sudip K Banerjee said, ''The state Pollution Control Board's unique effort of introducing Electro-Static Precipitators at all sponge iron factories across the state and combining it with a self-functional Environment Compliance Monitoring and Control System have effectively controlled carbon pollution from the coal gas emitted from these huge factories.'' ''We have been so successful that other states like Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Karnataka will use the technology to control pollution in their state too, he said.'' Principal Secretary Department of IT G D Gautama was also present on the occasion.

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