Leather industry to approach TNPCB for ZLD extension: Jairam

Chennai, May 29 (UNI) The leather industry will approach the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) seeking extension of the August one deadline for complying with the Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) norms fixed by it following an order of Madras High Court, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh today said.

Informing this to reporters after a review meeting with the Council for Leather Exports, Mr Ramesh said Tamil Nadu was the only state in the country facing this issue.

''There is no point in seeking review of the order as the industry also wants to comply with the ZLD norm as Tamil Nadu is a water-stressed state,'' he added.

Mr Ramesh said he had taken up the issue with the Environment Ministry and also spoke to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, who, too, had written a letter to the Prime Minister in this regard seeking Central assistance for meeting the ZLD norms.

He suggested the funding be shared on 65:35 basis with the Centre contributing 50 per cent, the state 15 per cent and the industry 35 per cent for achieving ZLD norm the cost of which had been estimated at Rs 120 crore.

The proposal was with the Centre. He had also apprised Union Finance Minister P Chidambaram who also happened to be from Tamil Nadu, for budgetary allocation.

''I hope that the Centre and the state will arrive at some form of an arrangement so that the industry is able to meet the ZLD norm,'' he added.

Since it would take at least six to eight months to achieve the norms set by the TNPCB, the industry should seek extension of the deadline saying it had made a beginning to meet the norms and would comply with them.

UNI