Industry and The Environment Despite the existence of factors inhibiting growth, in the form of unreliable rain fall, poor soils over large areas, unkind topography and highly skewed distribution of water resources, Gujarat has been able to build upon its limited advantages of a long coast line and occurrence of mineral wealth to propel itself to a preeminent position of industrial growth largely through the entrepreneurial skills of the people. A proactive industrial promotion policy of the State also helped considerably. The State’s share of factories, [9.8%] organized employment [8.21%], productive capital [15.27%], output [12.96%], and net value addition [11.45%] in 1998-99, was way above its share of population [5%] or its geographical area [6%]. As a result, the per capita income in the sate at Rs. 18792 at current prices (1998-99) is about 30% more than the national average. It had 19771 registered factories and 233777 small-scale industries as on 31st October, 2000. Industrial investment is still pouring in. About 5190 industrial entrepreneurs’ memoranda representing an investment of some 135009 crores of rupees and 18.10% of the total for the country are committed. Profile of industries Development of manufacturing industries in the Gujrat region dates back to pre-independence years with the setting up of large number of textile mills. The dye and intermediate dye stuffs followed suit. Exploitation of oil and gas led to refining, petrochemicals and downward integration. Abundant limestone deposits led to the setting up of cement industries. A long coastline provided the impetus for the manufacture of marine chemicals and now drives port-based development. The policy of industrial promotion with liberal incentives did not discriminate enough about the type of industries or their demand on life supporting systems or the absorbing capacity of the environment. According to the annual survey of industries for the year 1997-98, the chemical and chemical products group constituted 37.28% of the industries. Rubber, plastics, petroleum and coal based industries contribute another 14% while textiles contribute 8% of the industries. Of the 2000 large and medium industries about 65% are in the polluting sector. Around 45% of the small-scale industries are also in the polluting sector. Most of the highly polluting industries in the list of 18, identified by the central pollution control board, can be found in Gujrat. The labour Commissioner, Gujarat has identified that there are 46 highly flammable, poisonous and lethally toxic and hazardous chemicals being produced in Gujarat. It is reported that the production of some of these are either banned or agreed to be phased out in the developing countries. The Central Pollution Control Board’s (CPCB) inventory of water polluting industries lists 563 large and medium industries in Gujrat. The major industries are in the groups of textile [183], petrochemicals [44], pharmaceuticals [42], pulp and paper [41], organic chemicals [26], pesticides and insecticides [18], paints and dye stuffs [17] and others.[CPCB 1993-94]. Golden Corridor Almost 80% of the major and medium industries and 65% of the small-scale industries are located in the golden corridor stretching from Vapi to Mehsana. The, stretch also boasts of 84% of the units manufacturing highly hazardous chemicals. Most of the water polluting industries [major and medium] are set up in the golden corridor, Ahmedabad accounting for 154, followed by Surat [89], Bharuch [74], Valsad [68], Vadodara [53] and Mehesana [25]. The golden corridor traverses the basins of Sabarmati, Mahi, Narmada, Tapi and Damanganga rivers which among them represent 78.1% of the available surface water resources [85.54% of the total utilizable surface water resources] of the State. The implications of both the composition and location of industries in Gujrat for its water resources are obvious. These factors have made Gujarat ‘one of the most polluted states of India’. [Para 8-1 of the chapter on environment in the social infrastructure vision 2010]. Industrial pollution in Gujrat manifests itself in the following ways. Pollution of Rivers Sabarmati Water quality in Sabarmati worsens considerably in the stretch from Vasna-Narol Bridge to Vautha downstream due to discharge of waters of the Kharicut Canal carrying effluents from Vatva, Naroda and Odhav industrial estates. The Construction of Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPS) at Vatva and Odhav does not yet seem to have helped matters much. Click to Enlarge the Map   Pollution status of major rivers of Gujarat Mini Mini receives discharges of Nandesari industrial estate which houses small scale units manufacturing chemicals, pharmaceuticals, dyes and dye intermediaries, pesticides and plastics. Narmada Pollution of the Narmada river begins downstream of Bharuch where it is joined by its tributary, Amlakhadi. This tributary carries effluents from Ankleshwar, Jhagadia and Panoli industrial estates, the constituent units of which have high pollution potential.   River Water Quality at selected locations Parameter Class- B Standards Sabarmati at Vautha Mahi at Dabka Narmada at Ambetha Tapi at Hazira village Damanganga, 50 meter from CETP discharge PH,  units 6.5-8.5 6.5 9.2 7.9 8.2 7.4 Color, hazen units 300 6500 6.7 NA 91.7 NA DO 5 0.9 6.2 6.4 7.1 NA BOD 3 350 BDL <3 20.0 NA COD   965 BDL NA 55.3 218 Turbidity   NA NA 1726 NA NA TDS NS 9158 994 NA 10174 2105 Faecal coliforms (#/100 ml) 500 >1600 >1600 NA >1600 NA Total coliforms (# / 100ml) >1600 >1600 NA >1600 NA Designated Classification at select locations   E NA NA NA NA SURFACE WATER STANDARDS Class A : Drinking water source without conventional treatment but after disinfection Class B : Useful for outdoor bathing Class C : Drinking water source with conventional treatment Class D : Fish culture and wildlife propagation Class E : Irrigation, Industrial Cooling or controlled waste disposal NA : Data Not available BDL : Below detection limit Par, Damanganga Par river receives effluents from a chemical industrial complex manufacturing pharmaceuticals, dyestuffs and other chemicals in the Vapi area. Damanganga suffers from the wastewater discharges of the Vapi industrial estate. Groundwater Pollution Groundwater is critically polluted in terms presence of metals, Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), colour and Persistent Organic Pollutants (POP) in 27 Talukas of the 'Golden Corridor’ districts namely six of Ahmedabad, one of Vadodara, three of Bharuch, nine of surat and eight of Valsad. [ Annexure–VI] The condition of groundwater is equally critical in seven talukas of Rajkot, three of Surendranagar, two of Jamnagar one each in Amreli, Bhavnagar nd Junagadh, districts. Talukas affected by groundwater pollution due to Industrial Pollution                                                                                                             Click to Enlarge the Map The Salt pans situated in and around Mithapur, Jamnagar, Jodiya, Khijadiya, Bedi, Bedeswar, Chodarban and Singaj and chemical works which extract large quantities of brine have been identified as the sources of salt intrusion. Pollution from Hazardous Industrial Wastes Though required under the statute, no inventory of hazardous waste has been prepared for the entire State so far. A survey done in the five districts of Valsad, Surat, Bharuch, Vadodara and Ahmedabad by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 1996 had identified 1349 units generating and disposing off heavy metals, toxic organic compounds, oils and emulsions, spent chemicals and incineration ash on land. Industrial units manufacturing dyes and dye-intermediates account for 59.2% of the hazardous wastes generated. These are concentrated in the industrial estates of Odhav, Naroda and Vatva in Ahmedabad district, Nandesari in Vadodara, Ankleshwar in Bharuch and Vapi in Valsad district. Vadodara district alone generates 1,66,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes every year. Of the total 4,30,000 tonnes of hazardous wastes generated in a year, small scale units account for 44%, medium units 43% and large, units 13%. Most of the waste is indiscriminately disposed off. Threat to bio diversity Salt manufacturing in the Little Rann within the limits of the Wild Ass Sanctuary is posing a serious threat to the sanctuary. Setting up of salt pans in areas that support herbaceous vegetation on which the wild ass and black buck thrive, deprive the wildlife of their food sources. Heavy vehicular movement that accompanies industrial operations and progressive conversion of land for industrial uses have forced the wild ass to migrate to the Great Rann, North Gujarat, Bhal and the fallow lands of Surendranagar with none too happy consequences for the wild ass population. The Expansion of salt works towards the south and southwest parts of the Little Rann is also reported to have adversely affected the breeding sites of flamingos. Some efforts at Containing Industrial Pollution Equalisation Tank in Vatva CETP Primary clarifier at Nandesari CETP   Annual Cost of Pollution   Peoples Republic of China India Gujarat Premature deaths due to air pollution 178000 Not known Not known Indoor air pollution related premature rural deaths 111000 Works years lost due to health damages related to air pollution 7.4 million Blood lead levels in children 80% higher than what is considered dangerous to mental development Damage due to acid rains 10% of the total land Estimate of health damages due to fine air bone particulate $ 54 billion a year, equal to 8% of GDP Source : Clear Water, Blue Skies - China 2020

Back