The West Bengal Government may invite Sanjiv Goenka to head a team to lobby with the Centre for withdrawal of CEPI (comprehensive environmental pollution index) moratorium on expansion of industrial activity at Haldia, Asansol and Howrah. Setting up of new industries in these clusters has been stalled for more than two years now.
The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests started rating all the industrial clusters across the country through this complicated rating mechanism, a few years ago, to assess their wider environmental impact.
Accordingly, 88 clusters were found polluted. Of the total, nearly half – including Haldia, Asansol and Howrah – were declared “critically polluted” with CEPI scores above 70.
Impediment to Growth
At a recent meeting with industrialists , Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the State Government would set up a “small committee” to “take up this issue with the Centre”. The committee would be headed by Sanjiv Goenka, chairman of RP-Sanjiv Goenka Group.
According to the chief minister, the extension of the CEPI moratorium in these areas was creating an impediment to the overall industrial growth in the State. Even after repeated requests by the State Government, the UPA Government has not lifted the curbs on grounds of environment pollution from Haldia, Asansol and Howrah, she added.
Banerjee also said the industry captains and commerce chambers have been drawing the State’s attention on the issue, which has been hindering their plans to expand businesses in these industrial towns. According to sources, the State Government has already addressed some of the environmental problems in these clusters.
“We oppose the extension of the CEPI moratorium in these areas. We request the Centre to lift the ban on industry immediately,” Debmalya Banerjee, Co-Chairman of Assocham Eastern Region Development Council, said.