‘Industrial units will pay for damaging the environment’

On the eve of World Environment Day, environment minister Suresh Shetty spoke to DNA on the need for effective implementation of the existing rules and norms. Excerpts from the interview:

Industrial units continue to flout pollution norms...
It’s true that no effective action is being taken against industrial units that flout norms. Closure notices are served to units that flout norms and then withdrawn after a certain period, and we all know the reasons. We have decided to make changes to the policy and make the industrial units pay for causing damage to the environment. We will give them ample time to make the requisite changes in their anti-pollution machinery and will then ensure that all the norms and rules are followed strictly.

Maharashtra accounts for eight of the country’s 88 most polluted areas, as per a December 2009 report by Central Pollution Control Board...
Rules state that industrial units should be at least 2 km away from residential area, but it cannot be followed in Mumbai. Even awareness level among people is abysmal. Residential societies burn the dry solid waste in their compound to avoid the pain of dumping it at the designated place.

Civic bodies have been asked to prepare status report on pollution. How will it help?
This will help local bodies to involve all the stakeholders in the society to bring in effective awareness and implementation. More attention will be given to sewerage system, systematic dumping of the waste, segregation of bio-medical waste, effluent treatment plants, all of which are
major factors related to the pollution.