The Hindu : Kerala News : CII for new environmental management

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Sep 20, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

CII for new environmental management

By Our Staff Reporter

KOCHI, SEPT. 19. The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) has taken an initiative for bringing the industries under an umbrella for effective environmental management. The move is significant in the wake of strictures imposed on polluting industries by regulating agencies and the Judiciary.

At a meeting of the industries, non-governmental organisations, officials and academics convened by the CII here on Friday, it was decided to form a partnership of industries and the neighbourhood. Such a set-up would be able to apply indigenous solution to the problem of pollution, the CII (Kerala) chairman, Raghulal, said.

The new movement would look for fresh technology to find out appropriate solutions. The services of international agencies would be sought towards this end, he said.

`Self-cleaning'

The new approach would focus on preventive environmental management. While there would be an integrated chemical management, the individual industries would have to set a goal for `self-cleaning'. In fact, the CII has outlined a charter for synergising the industry and environment. The action plan involves a timeframe of six months beginning October 2, 2004.

The charter envisages to reach out to all stakeholders in maintaining a clean environment. Local area environment committees formed under the plan would look into solutions depending on local conditions. Launching of demonstration projects would be part of the movement. The technology proposals would be submitted to multi-lateral agencies. Historical information could be gathered to form a baseline.

While technology upgradation and capacity building are expected to go a long way in ensuring a clean environment, the CII would explore all options including availability of funds for controlling pollution. It is understood that the Union Government has a fund of about Rs.100 crores for pollution-control measures. Efforts would be made to utilise a portion of this fund for establishing common facilities to combat pollution.

Call to seek time

Mr. Raghulal said the industries upon which restrictions are sought to be imposed on account of pollution would seek extension of time to comply with the norms. Earlier, various aspects of the core issue were presented by R. Gopichandran, scientist and coordinator of Industry Initiative, Centre for Environment Education, Ahmedabad. K.V. Indulal, Member- Secretary, Kerala State Pollution Control Board, Jose Dominic, Chairman, Task Force on Environment, Sivasankara Pillai of the Cochin University of Science and Technology, were among those who took part in the discussions.

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