Skip to main content

Ban on industrial activity reimposed on Vapi, continues for Ankaleshwar and Vatva. Ahmedabad is spared

By Our Representative
In a major setback to Gujarat’s efforts to overcome pollution in its environmentally critical regions, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, has decided to re-impose ban on industrial activity on the industrial cluster of Vapi in South Gujarat, even as continuing with the ban imposed by it in 2010 on the industrial clusters of Ankaleshwar, also in South Gujarat, and Vatva, which is off Ahmedabad. The MoEF order, while re-imposing the ban on industrial activity on Vapi, has said that its Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI), as assessed this year, has failed to show any tendency towards implementing an action plan to end pollution.
At the same time, the MoEF declared it has lifted moratorium on industrial activity on Ahmedabad saying, “The evaluation of the CEPI score in 17 areas where moratorium is still in place indicates that the CEPI score in 10 areas namely Bhiwadi (Rajasthan), Dhanbad (Jharkhand), Manali (Tamilnadu), Ahmedabad (Gujarat), Korba (Chhattisgarh), Asansole (West Bengal), Haldia (West Bengal), Howrah (West Bengal), Vishakapatnam (Andhra Pradesh) and Kanpur (UP) is below 80 and has shown a decreasing trend as compared to the CEPI score assessed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in 2011.”
Vapi, significantly, is not alone where the ban has been reimposed. The MoEF order identifies seven other industrial clusters of India which have failed to implement an action plan to implement pollution control measures after the ban was conditionally lifted two years ago. The revised CEPI scores, assessed in 2013, suggest that there are eight critically polluted areas, where pollution levels have begun to rise again, with Vapi topping with the highest CEPI of 85.31, followed by Ghaziabad (UP), 84.13, Singrauli (UP and MP) 83,24, Panipat (Haryana) 81.27, Jharsuguda (Odisha) 78.75, Patancheru-Bollaram (Andhra Pradesh) 76.05, and Ludhiana (Punjab) 75.72.
The MoEF order states, “The CEPI score indicates that even after a period of two-and-a-half years of implementation of action plans, there is no improvement in the environmental quality as is evident from the observed values of CEPI in 2013” in anyof these clusters. Here, “the CEPI score has shown an increasing trend as compared to 2011. In view of this situation, the moratorium is hereby re-imposed with immediate effect in respect of these eight areas till further orders”, it declares.
The order adds that the ban on industrial activity in Vatva (near Ahmedabad) and Ankaleshwar (in South Gujarat) would continue. These two Gujarat industrial clusters are part a list which contains five others – Chandrapur (Maharashtra), Pali (Rajasthan), Vellore (Tamil Nadu), Najafgarh Drain Basin (UT Delhi) and Jodhpur (Rajasthan) – “where the CEPI score is either above 80 or is above 70 and showing either increasing trend or no change as compared to values observed in 2011”, the order states.
The order further says, the moratorium was first imposed on January 13, 2010 up to August 31, 2010 “on consideration of projects for environmental clearance to be located in 43 critically polluted areas/ industrial clusters identified by Central Pollution Control Board. It was envisaged that during the period of moratorium, time bound action plans will be prepared by the respective state pollution control boards for improving the environmental quality in these industrial clusters / areas. The action plans so prepared would be finalized by Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). The period of moratorium was extended beyond August 31, 2010 from time to time.”
The order disallows any independent state government environment assessment and clearance of projects in the critically polluted areas. It says that even for projects of public interest, a prior approval would have to be needed from the MoEF. Such projects, which are normally under category B, require clearance from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and they need not go the the MoEF for clearance. However, as for the critically polluted areas, all projects “are to be considered as category A projects” requiring MoEF clearance, hence “the reference to SEIAA and category B projects in this para is hereby deleted”.
However, the order states, “It has been decided to consider allowing the projects / activities of modernization of existing project or activity not resulting in increase in pollution load and physical infrastructure like highways, aerial ropeways, Common Effluent Treatment Plants and Common Solid Waste Management Facility in such areas.”
Even as deciding to lift the moratorium on 10 industrial areas, including Ahmedabad, the MoEF has put forward a few conditions:
· The concerned state pollution control board (SPCB) should ensure that any new project /activity or any expansion or modernization of existing project or activity or any change in product mix is in line with the overall approved action plan of the concerned CPA.
· The chairman, SPCB, should submit a quarterly report on the implementation of the action plan of each CPA to the CPCB be reviewed by it.
· Monitoring in CPAs should be carried out by the SPCB through a third party on an annual basis for computing CEPI. The monitoring should be done during December-February and the report sent to CPCB by April. CPCB, in turn, would submit its report to MoEF.
· Monitoring in CPAs should be got done by CPCB through a third party on biennial basis for computing CEPI and report submitted to MoEF for taking an appropriate view.
“If at any time it comes to the notice of CPCB that action plan in any CPA is not being implemented properly or the CEPI index in CPA is showing an increasing trend, it will immediately bring the factual pOSition to the notice of MoEF and MoEF would consider taking an appropriate view in the matter which may include re-imposition of moratorium”, the order warns.

Industry protests the MoEF order

In a sharp reaction, the Ankaleshwar Industries Association president Vipul V Gajera called an urgent meeting of industrialists of Central Gujarat "in connection with extension of moratorium on critically-polluted Industrial cluster category for Ankleshwar-Panoli-Jhagadia Industrial cluster based on result of recent sampling by MoEF team." The meeting was held to protest against the "extension of moratorium on critically polluted industrial cluster based on the result declared recently of sampling done by the team of CPCB/MoEF". It was jointed arranged with Laghu Udyog Bharti, Bharuch, Panoli and Jhagadia Industries Associations, and among the participants included BJP MPs Mansukh Vasava and Bharatsinh Parmar, and BJP MLAs Chhatrasinh Mori, Dushiantbhai Patel and Arunsinh Rana.

Comments

TRENDING

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

Workers' groups condemn Gujarat Ordinance increasing working hours, warn of statewide agitation

By A Representative   At a consultation organised today by the Asangathit Shramik Hit Rakshak Manch at Circuit House in Ahmedabad, leaders of major trade unions and labour rights organisations strongly opposed the Gujarat government’s recent ordinance amending the Factories Act and the draft rules notified under the Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Code, 2020. Around 50 representatives from central trade unions, independent unions, and labour welfare organisations participated in the meeting.

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Deaths in Chhattisgarh are not just numbers – they mark a deeper democratic crisis

By Sunil Kumar  For a while, I had withdrawn into a quieter life, seeking solace in nature. But the rising tide of state-sponsored violence and recurring conflict across India has compelled deeper reflection. The recent incidents of killings in central India—particularly in Chhattisgarh—are not isolated acts. They point to a larger and ongoing crisis that concerns the health of democracy and the treatment of marginalised communities.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

'Bengali Muslim migrant workers face crackdown in Gurgaon': Academic raises alarm

By A Representative   Political analyst and retired Delhi University professor Shamsul Islam has raised serious concerns over the ongoing targeting and detention of Muslim migrant workers from West Bengal in Gurgaon, Haryana. In a public statement, Islam described the situation as "brutal repression" and accused law enforcement agencies of detaining migrants arbitrarily under the pretext of verifying their citizenship.

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Gender violence defies stringent laws: The need for robust social capital

By Dr. Manoj Kumar Mishra*  The tragic death of Miss Soumyashree Bisi, a 20-year-old student from Fakir Mohan College, Balasore, who reportedly self-immolated due to harassment, shocked the conscience of Odisha. Even before the public could process this horrifying event, another harrowing case emerged—a 15-year-old girl from Balanga, Puri, was allegedly set ablaze by miscreants. These incidents are not isolated; they highlight a disturbing pattern of rising gender-based violence across the state and the country.

A matter of deep concern: The silent struggles of India's visually impaired women

By N.S. Venkataraman  Visual impairment is one of the most severe forms of physical disability that afflicts humanity, and its impact is even more acute when it affects women. The burden becomes overwhelming when visually impaired women also belong to economically weaker sections of society, with little or no financial or institutional support. Their struggle for dignity, survival, and identity is often invisible—hidden in plain sight across cities and rural corners alike. And yet, these women form a large, neglected segment of society not just in India, but around the world. In India, governmental assistance to visually impaired persons exists but remains minimal. While policies are framed with good intent, they often fall short in implementation. More importantly, no real distinction is made between the unique challenges faced by visually impaired men and women. This gender-blind approach to disability support overlooks the compounded social vulnerabilities that women face due to...