'Corporates should take up environment protection'

The corporate sector should take up the work of environment preservation and pollution control as part of its social responsibility, said K V Bhanujan, chairman, Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).

He was speaking at a symposium on 'Environmental Issues: Retrospect and prospect' in Ahmedabd on Saturday. The symposium was jointly organised by the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) and GPCB.

"The board is a regulatory authority and is always ready to extend co-operation to the industries for pollution control. Suggestions from the corporate sector are welcome and all the steps will be taken to implement appropriate suggestions," said Bhanujan.

He also referred to the active role played by the Supreme Court in pollution control and the court's various judgements about the use of fuel in vehicles and said the board was committed to implement them.

Deputy commissioner of police (traffic), Ahmedabad, Vikas Sahay, said, "There is lack of self discipline in observing traffic rules in the city. The people of Ahmedabad should obey traffic rules."

He said everyday, up to 1,500 cases of traffic violation are registered in the city.

"The police have launched a campaign against the rickshaws running on kerosene, as a result of which for the first time, suspended particulate matter in Ahmedabad has reduced significantly. Over 90 per cent of the air pollution in the city is caused by vehicles," said Sahay.

Paru Jaikrishna, chairperson of the industry committee of the chamber, said, "The GPCB's present norms prescribed for various industries are vary stringent. They should be amended in keeping with our situation and available resources."

Shreyas Pandya, president of the GCCI, said, "Gujarat has done much better in preventing environmental degradation. Gujarat has been the first state to set up common effluent treatment plants and hazardous waste disposal sites."

He stressed the need to help the small and medium industries for installing anti-pollution devices by providing them soft loans and technical guidance.