Pesticide units of Industrial Growth Centre (IGC) Samba and the units of Industrial Estate Govindsar in Kathua have been brought under study for creating industrial pollution detrimental to bird and agricultural life of the region. The State has awoken to the issue of industrial pollution rather a bit late. It was only 2006 that the stringent/improved Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was introduced with the objective of controlling possibility of environmental pollution by the industrial enterprises. It means that the industries set up prior to the induction of EIA have to be treated on a different scale and cannot be assessed in accordance with the EIA standard. The Government constituted a committee of experts drawn from various organizations to study the impact of these two specific industrial units and report to the Government.
The Committee has conducted the study in right earnest and even physically visited the sites to make objective assessment. It has also interacted with the local people especially those whose crops and agricultural products have been diversely affected. The report of the committee is already presented to the GAD and has to be presented by the Government to the Committee on Environment of State Legislature. The Committee has blown a siren about the impending dangers of rampant industrial pollution if something is not done immediately to control the menace. The birds are vanishing fast perhaps owing to pesticides and other pollutions. The farmers have complained that their agricultural products are badly affected.
Alarmed at the magnitude of pollution and its disastrous impact on agriculture, the Committee appointed by the Government is reported to have suggested that piecemeal treatment of the issue is not going to help. It has, therefore, suggested that keeping in mind the complaints of the farmers with whom the committee members interacted on spot, the Government should approach national agencies of repute to conduct the study and suggest remedial measures. But it has emphasised that only such agencies should be consulted as are having genuine expertise and are equipped with ultra modern equipment and machinery needed to gauge the level of pollution. As large number of units were established prior to 2006 a comprehensive study is needed as partial treatment of environmental pollution is not going to be of much benefit.
It is an established fact that industrial units are considered responsible for environmental pollution but then precautions are necessary and the Government has laid down a code which the industrial units will have to follow. Jammu was once reputed for clear air and water. But things have changed. On the one hand we are demanding establishing of more and more industries to boost our economy and provide employment to unemployed people but on the other hand we are not taking care of the environment which is fast depleting owing to population pressures. The State Government is encouraging business houses to establish industries and is also relaxing lease related laws to give incentives to the investors. This is all right but it is not the industrialists alone who have to be made responsible for maintaining clear environment. The State Government has the primary responsibility of laying down the basics that industrialists have to follow. EIA criterion laid down in 2006 has to be modified and upgraded with each passing year because the scope, impact an variety of industries have to be taken into account. The 2006 EIA notification superseded the 1994 Notification and rightly so. The Government should regularly monitor what restrictions and prohibitions need to be imposed on upcoming industrial units in the State.
In reality the State has to change entire mindset about making industrial expansion compatible with environmental upkeep and free of disaster. We find that birds are becoming more and rarer and farmers are worried about the impact on agricultural products. We need to move from traditional and primitive industrial culture to modern and scientific industrial culture and we have much to learn from developed countries in the world in this area.
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