Effluent treatment facilities across Golden Corridor do not conform to ujarat Pollution Control Board norms, say environment activists
If you think having a reverse osmosis plant at home will keep you away from toxic chemicals contained in water, think again. In a state where no Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) is in accordance with the norms prescribed by law, toxins are bound to enter your body via the milk you drink, and the fruits and vegetables you eat.
These were among the startling facts put to the media, a day prior to the World Environment Day, by environmental activists. Rohit Prajapati, Swati Desai, Rajani Dave, Michael Mazgaonkar and Krishnakant from Paryavara Suraksha Samiti (PSS), and Mahesh Pandya from Paryavaran Mitra, quoted state government reports and demanded that discharge of effluents from CETPs be immediately stopped, as they do not meet the standards prescribed by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).
"In the 90s, developing CETPs was supported by public money, that is, 25 per cent of the cost was state subsidy, 25 per cent central subsidy, 30 per cent loans from financial institutes, and 20% directly by the industry," Rohit Prajapati said.
"This means, half the cost of building CETPs to check pollution brought about by private industries, was funded by public money. And even after these investments, many of the CETPs, including those in Vapi, Ankleshwar, Panoli, Vatva, Odhav and other industrial areas, do not meet the GPCB's norms," Prajapati said.
"We, therefore, demand that effluent discharge at these CETPs be immediately stopped," he said. Prajapati had obtained his data on CETPs from GPCB under the Right To Information (RTI) Act.
Another environment activist, Michael Mazgaonkar, said that the
CETP, which treats effluents from industries in Sarigam of Valsad, has been given a notice by the GPCB.
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