Ankleshwar waits to shed off 'critically polluted' area tag

If the blanket ban on expansion is lifted by Centre, area could see additional investment of Rs 5,000 cr

As the industrial belts of Ankleshwar, Panoli in Gujarat, primarily a bulk drug and chemicals manufacturing zone, vie to shed the tag of 'critically polluted area' that has put a blanket ban on the existing industry there to invest into expansion of plants and machinery, industry insiders feel that once the ban is lifted, it could trigger investments worth at least Rs 5,000 crore to the area.

In January 2010, the ministry of environment and forests had imposed a blanket ban on the industries in the region to undertake any expansion at site. Senior officials at GPCB said that as per their recent assessment, the area can no longer be categorised as critically polluted thanks to the measures taken by industries there.

The Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) as well as the Indian Drug Manufacturers Association (IDMA) have already written to the Central Pollution Control Board on the same and are actively pursuing the matter with the department of environment and forests as well as the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP). IDMA claims that companies in the area have already invested close to Rs 500 crore, and Comprehensive Environment Pollution Index (Cepi) action plan has been implemented which is continually monitored by GPCB.

S V Veeramani, president, IDMA said, "The industries do not wish any relaxation of environment norms as such. The only concern is that they be allowed to grow horizontally as well as vertically while taking full care of environment related rules and regulations. The ban is making it extremely difficult for pharmaceutical industries, as it requires introduction of new products which entail new processes."

Industries highlighted that some of the measures implemented include establishment of common effluent treatment plants, common hazardous waste land fill site, common incinerator, laying of effluent convince lineup to deep sea, creating underground drainage system for carrying effluent, as well as massive tree plantation drives.

A senior GPCB official said that the area's new Cepi score deems it fit to be brought out of the ban on expansion owing to critical pollution. "IIT Delhi had designed the concept of calculating Cepi scores, and according to a recent calculation by the institute, Ankleshwar's Cepi score does not tag it as critically polluted. However, the CPCB has come up with another score, and they have not shared the basis of the parameters on which they have calculated the score," he alleged, requesting to be not named.

Veeramani said that Ankleshwar belt is important as it is one of the major bulk drug manufacturing hubs in the country after Hyderabad region. The IDMA letter to the CPCB and DoP states that companies like Sun Pharmaceuticals, Zydus Cadila, Lupin, Wockhardt, Cadila Pharma, JB Chemicals are present in the region.

Kamlesh Udani, executive director, technical and production, of JB Chemicals explained that in pharmaceuticals, the molecules keep changing, and one cannot keep stagnated with a particular process or molecule. "Expansion and diversification are the key to growth for the industry," he said adding that the industrial estates around Ankleshwar already have investments to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore, and an approximate Rs 4,000-5,000 wait to be pumped into various expansion and diversification projects. Several companies, however, did not wish to quoted on the matter.

What's more, IDMA has written to the Centre saying that while 2015 has been declared the Year of APIs (active pharmaceutical ingredients or bulk drugs), which aims to boost indigenous manufacturing, such a ban is only increasing the country's dependence on China.