Just as Tata Group easily found a suitable site near Sanand for its ambitious Nano car project, no business house willing to start a venture in Gujarat will face any difficulty in finding a good site. An Industrial Suitability Atlas that the state government is developing will help them in their search.
Highly-placed sources said the project is aimed at helping industrialists who wish to set up new projects. The atlas will provide them information regarding environment clearance, government incentives, and various industrial zones, among others. “The plan is almost ready and the final draft is likely to be submitted to the government of India for approval,” the sources said.
The Industrial Suitability Atlas will help industrialists in finding a suitable site on the basis of various factors like suitable environment, availability of water, road, rail, airport, power, gas, and urban pockets. Proximity to special investment region (SIR), SEZ, industrial park, GIDC, etc, will be other important considerations.
The state government has prepared the atlas as per Central government guidelines and with the latest input from all departments of the state government. The departments which have contributed include industry, urban development & housing, water resources & irrigation, energy & petrochemicals, road & building department and environment & forest.
The atlas has jointly been prepared by the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) and the Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-Informatics (BISAG). The GPCB has co-ordinated with all departments while BISAG has provided satellite maps of all the talukas and districts.
“We are preparing maps of all the talukas and districts which will be available at a nominal price. The clearance of sites will be done online. The government has put various restrictions for site clearance (such as no hazardous industry is to be set up within 2 to 10 km area of any biologically diversified area) which will be mentioned in the atlas,” sources said.
Water polluting industry will not be permitted within 1 km radius of groundwater point or discharge area; some industries will not be allowed within 10 km radius of national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, tourist spots, monuments of national importance and world heritage sites, religious places, airports, flood-prone areas and agriculture zones. “The government has categorised the state into low, medium, high and over polluted zones. Keeping the possibility of air and water pollution in the mind, the government has divided the state into 12 air and water pollution zones. It has classified 67 high polluting and 190 medium and low polluting small industries. These industries will be allowed in specific areas only which will be mentioned in the atlas,” sources added.
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