Maharashtra government weighs pollution board nod waiver for some projects

MUMBAI: The Maharashtra government is considering waiving mandatory clearances from the state pollution control board for projects in the orange and green category, which are lower on the pollution scale.

The move, which aims to cut the red tape around new projects to boost the Make in Maharashtra campaign, has dismayed environmentalists who are sceptical about industries policing themselves. They said industries in the orange category, like auto-servicing, generate a fair amount of waste.

The proposal has been discussed at high-level meetings conducted by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. "We are considering making these industries self-regulatory. But this will be combined with stringent checks by the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) to make sure rules are followed," said additional chief secretary (environment), Ajoy Mehta. "The system will be based on both trust and checks. The idea is to impose severe penalties on those who do not follow the norms," he added.

Environmentalists have a dim view of the MPCB's regulatory rigour but feel some prior checks are better than none. "This is a retrograde step. There is anyway barely any regulation, even of highly polluting industries. But at least there are some records with MPCB," said Debi Goenka of the Conservation Action Trust.

They were also sceptical of any policing by the MPCB once a project comes up. "The MPCB is understaffed and lacks the will to take any serious action. Most industries release waste at night when the MPCB staff have gone home," said D Stalin of Vanashakti. He also cautioned that several industries in the orange category required stringent checks. "The waste generated from auto-servicing, for instance, has to be disposed responsibly," said Stalin.