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Zoning atlas for siting of industries on environmental aspects - A case study of district Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh
Prabhat Chaturvedi
UPPCB
Background
For Sustainable industrial development,
the need of the hour is judicious, reasonable and planned use of the finite
resources of land according to their natural environmental properties. To cater
to this need, the preparation of Zoning Atlas for siting of industries, based on
environmental considerations has been conceived. The Zoning Atlas is not only
the solution for all the problems caused by haphazard industrial siting, but
tackles the cause of the problem itself. The Zoning Atlas identifies suitable
sites for siting of industries based on environmental considerations. The
environmental parameters and conditions are evaluated and quantified and the
suitability of sites is determined based on their sensitivity to air, water and
land pollution. Economic development and industrialization have become
synonymous and are integral part of regional planning of a country. There is a
need that apart from preventive measures, proper siting of industries /
industrial estates should be done, especially in countries like India where the
process of planned industrialization is still in its initial stage. Thus,
environmental planning is a proven tool for achieving sustainable development.
Proper siting of newly planned industries & industrial estates is a strong
pollution preventive instrument that ensures environmental soundness of the
industrial development. Site selection based on environmental criteria with the
objective of minimizing adverse environmental impacts is, therefore, a vital
prerequisite.
Environmental Planning in India
The need for
the environmental administration of India to become active in the field of
environmental planning is founded in the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986,
which authorizes the Central and State Government " to have the power to take
all such measures as it deems necessary or expedient for the purpose of
protecting and improving the quality of the environment and preventing,
controlling and abating environmental pollution" [3 (1)]. Measures under this
clause may include "planning and execution of a nation-wide program for the
prevention, control and abatement of environmental pollution [3 (2), (ii)]. This
task of environmental management includes spatial (geographical) aspects as
explicitly mentioned under [3 (2), (v)] "restriction of areas in which any
industries, operations or processes shall not be carried out or shall be carried
out subject to certain safeguards".
This clause calls for a spatial
approach in environment management further substantiated in the Environment
(Protection) Rules which states that such restrictions be carried out under
consideration of "Environmentally compatible land use" [5 (1), (vi)]. Since, the
carrying capacity of the environment is not unlimited and some areas or
ecosystems are more susceptible to adverse environmental impacts than others,
the unplanned and haphazard location of industries might substantially increase
the risk to the environment. Environmental planning is a proven tool for
reducing the impacts from such risks. However, this tool has seldom been used in
this country. Proper siting of newly planned industries and industrial estates
is a strong pollution preventive instrument that ensures environmental soundness
of the industrial development.
Present Scenario
There are
many disadvantages in the present practice of not defining industrial areas,
such as:
- The entrepreneur has no knowledge of the environmental conditions and
consequences of his industry which depends on the site selected. He may land up
investing in an environmentally extremely sensitive site and consequently might
find it difficult in getting clearance from the regulatory authority.
- Depending on the location specificity, an industry may have to provide more
elaborate and costlier pollution control equipment to meet more stringent
standards than those permissible, in order to avoid adverse impacts caused by
extreme site sensitivity.
- The pollution control equipment provided by an industry may not perform
efficiently and with reliability because of factors beyond control and hence
there is a risk of pollution.
- Due to scattered industrial development, combined treatment or disposal
facilities, that may be much more economical and effective than providing
facilities by industries individually, cannot be provided.
- Pollution control programs can not be planned effectively with perspective
due to haphazard development. Also, decision making becomes difficult due to
unplanned development.
- Due to increasing public awareness on environmental aspects and due to the
risks involved in isolated location, an industry is under pressure for
compliance with stringent standards and the regulatory authorities are forced to
take up immediate action.
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