Kerala - Kochi   

Curbs on new projects in city will hinder growth: industry

KOCHI: President of the Mattancherry-based Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry J.S. Chawla has taken exception to the Union government’s move to deny environmental clearance to projects coming up in the Greater Cochin region in the next eight months. Greater Cochin was ranked by the Central Pollution Board and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest among the critically polluted clusters where environment clearance to new projects would be withheld for the next eight months.

In a statement, he said the decision is of concern to Kerala since Greater Cochin is one among them. Stoppage of clearance to project proposals for the next eight months will slow down the pace of industrialisation and will have an adverse impact on commercial activities and employment vis-À-vis the State’s economy.

Minister for Forests Benoy Viswom has said that the extent of pollution in Kochi was alarming. “The ranking should serve as an eye opener,” Mr. Viswom said.

He said that according to his knowledge the ban was restricted to projects in the areas identified as “dirty” industries causing environmental pollution. “We have no such projects in the pipeline,” he said.

The Minister, however, added that the matter had to be studied in detail before making any comprehensive response.

Addressing a press conference, N.A. Mohammed Kutty, secretary, Development Initiative for Strategic Advancement, said that while the environment issue had been pointed out as the reason, no suggestion as to how to control the pollution had been made by the Ministry. There is also no indication of any study in this regard. Without these measures, the ban will amount to violation of basic civic rights.

He said that compared to many other States, the chemical wastage of industries in Kochi is much less. The city is more oriented in the services sector, he said.

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