Hyderabad: Polluting industrial units in and around Hyderabad continue their operations without fear while the industries department of Telangana and the Telangana State Pollution Control Board are busy playing blame games.
Last December, Hyderabad High Court had ordered the Telangana State Pollution Control Board to identify all the polluting units in the 10 kms radius of Osmansagar and Himayathsagar lakes and take appropriate action.
However, six months on the TSPCB officials are still lumbering over the job. When asked an official from the TSPCB Hyderabad zonal office said, “We have identified 48 industrial units which fall in the red category of polluting industries of which six are non-operational now. However, a report is yet to be prepared if each of the remaining 42 are complying as per pollution control norms. After this, the report will be sent to a committee which will then decide what action is to be taken against the units found to be non-complying.”
TSPCB blames the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation for not developing enough infrastructure at Indrakaran, Buchinelly and Rakamcherla industrial areas to facilitate the shifting of industrial units out of Hyderabad.
The TSPCB official said, “Owners of the polluting industrial units are not ready to shift out of Hyderabad because in the city they have got all the required infrastructure for smooth conduct of business. They have been operating here since decades. The TSIIC has not developed even an effluent treatment plant at the new industrial areas even though we are ready to bear the cost.”
When asked a senior official belonging to the office of Commissioner of Industries said, “We are ready to process applications and give land to units if they are to shift to any of the industrial areas outside the city. Our responsibility ends there. The PCB should shut down polluting units or take whatever action they deem fit. We cannot force the industries to move out of Hyderabad.” He added that there have been no guidelines or orders from the government on shifting of polluting industries.
