Setting up of new plant protection chemical units
Suggests only 10% of total units in any Industrial Estate
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 24: A panel of officers has recommended lifting of restrictions with certain conditions on setting up of new plant protection chemical units in Jammu division but has suggested that number of such units should be up to 10% of the total industrial units in any Industrial Estate. Now, the report of this committee will be scrutinized by a team of officers of the Industries and Commerce Department to highlight actionable points.
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The General Administration Department vide Order No.146-JK(GAD) dated January 30, 2023 constituted a committee of officers for reviewing restrictions imposed on setting up of new plant protection chemical units (pesticides, weedicides and herbicides etc) in Jammu division.
The committee headed by Chairperson of J&K Pollution Control Committee and comprising of Director General, Industries and Commerce Jammu, Director Horticulture Jammu, Director Ecology, Environment and Remote Sensing J&K, Dr Sudhir Kumar Singh and Dr R S Bandral (both Professors SKUAST-Jammu) was directed to assess the scope for setting up of additional plant protection chemical units in terms of capacity which could be allowed in the Industrial Estates of the districts of Jammu division, where number of such units is law.
Further, the committee was assigned the task to carry out a comprehensive exercise and recommend related criteria, guidelines, norms and standards for setting up of such units keeping all aspects including those pertaining to geographical, environmental and ecological situation of the area into consideration.
In its report, the committee, as per the official sources, has recommended lifting of restrictions on setting up of such units but with certain conditions. As there are already sufficient number of such units in Bari Brahamna and Samba Industrial Estates, the committee has suggested that no additional plant protection chemical units should be established in these two particular areas.
The committee has further suggested that such units should only be established in other Industrial Estates of Jammu division but the number be restricted to up to 10% of the total units in each Industrial Estate, sources further said while disclosing that several industrialists have expressed keenness to establish such units particularly in newly created Industrial Estates.
Disclosing that certain conditions vis-à-vis obtaining clearances have also been recommended by the committee, sources said, “the panel is not in favour of establishing such units outside the Industrial Estates in order to protect the environment. Even otherwise it would be very cumbersome to meet the stringent guidelines laid down for setting up of such units in areas other than the Industrial Estates”.
The General Administration Department has shared the report of the committee with the Industries and Commerce Department, which has now constituted a committee to examine the report and highlight the actionable points after proper scrutiny and thereafter the same will be placed before the competent authority for acceptance.
The committee comprising of Director Industries and Commerce Jammu, Director Industries and Commerce Kashmir and Managing Director J&K Industries Limited has been told by Commissioner Secretary to the Government, Industries and Commerce Department Vikramjit Singh to submit the actionable points within 15 days.
While confirming that committee has recommended lifting of restrictions with certain conditions, some concerned officers, when contacted, said, “Industrial Policy doesn’t discriminate on setting up of manufacturing unit as such new plant protection chemical units can be established provided they follow all the guidelines strictly so that there is no damage of any sort to the environment”.
“Outside Industrial Estates it would be very difficult to establish such units keeping in view large number of No Objection Certificates (NOCs) required to be obtained from various Government agencies and in the light of Environment Protection Laws”, they said.
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