AGRA (PTI): A Long dawn battle between administration of the northern Indian Uttar Pradesh state 4nd small scale industries around Agra is looming ahead on the issue Of relocating their factories indicted of causing pollution and endangering the Taj Mahal the 17th century mausoleum in white marble.
The industrialists under the banner of the Agra Trapezium industries action council and the workers affiliated to different labor organizations have resolved to fight any move of the state government to shift their units outside the Agra Trapezium hundreds of kilometers away from the city of Agra industrialists said. Action Council Convenor S.M-Khandelwal says we are pained by the fact that we were not given a chance to prove our innocence. Questioning the moves of the state government to shift over 850 SSI units employing nearly half a million workers in Agra Mathura Firozabad and Bharatpur districts following a Supreme Court order he wondered why no action is being taken against those industries who were polluting cities like Delhi Calcutta and Kanpur.
While the U.P. administration was not providing those essentials Tike uninterrupted power and water the latest move to shift them even after they complied with an earlier Supreme Court order to install air pollution control devices was uncalled for Khandelwal said
Out of the 528 industrial units awaiting marching orders/iodine sources said:
The affected industrial units in sectors like Foundry glass chemicals pulp paper and board have an. annual turnover of nearly Rs 30 billion with a total export business Of Rs four billion per annum the Sources Said.
The industrialists alleged that while their share of the pollution in and around Agra was only three per cent or so the public sector Mathura refinery was the main Source of pollution.
They also say the tourism industry too is responsible for the present crisis the hotel industry with their boilers generators and effluents in open drains cannot blame the industry alone for the situation.
Whenever there is a power failure 60,000 generator sets mainly diesel sets come alive within one minute official source said.
Agra district magistrate Desh Deepal Verma said the district administration had to act on this issue as it was directed by the Apex Court of the country to initiate action to shift the polluting industries in Agra to another area in & phased manner.
He said the government was willing 16 provide adequate loan and other infrastructural facilities to the industrialists whose units will be affected
He however said the issue could general Social tension as many Workers currently employed in Units in Agra and nearby areas could become unemployed once these units are shifted to other remote areas like Kosi and Agrawal.
Thus there is a need to take into confidence both the industrialists and workers Verma said.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 27, 1994
