Date:24/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/24/stories/2008012459850800.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Plans to make industrial parks eco-friendly

Industry urged to create watchdog for preventing pollution

HYDERABAD: Following the success of a pilot project, plans are afoot to make all the 291 industrial parks, including 15 notified Special Economic Zones (SEZs) in the State, eco-friendly.

This was disclosed by the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation’s Managing Director B.P. Acharya at a round table on developing ‘eco-industrial parks in the State’ here on Wednesday. He said good results were achieved in a Rs.11-crore pilot project on Eco Industrial Parks (EEP), implemented in the Nacharam and Mallapur industrial areas.

Joint venture

The project was implemented with collaboration from the German Technical Corporation (GTZ). He said that the APIIC had earmarked Rs.50 crore for implementing eco-friendly measures and a part of it would be utilised for industrial parks in the next two years.

Industrial parks and SEZs are spread across 86,000 acres and about 9,000 acres could be used for developing greenbelts and another 4,000 acres for planting saplings abutting roads. Mr. Acharya suggested industry to create a watchdog body for preventing pollution.

As part of promoting other eco-friendly measures, a proposal was being considered to introduce carbon credit rating for industries.

He said the APIIC would spend Rs.20 crore in developing underground drainage system in Madhapur as the Hi-tech City had no underground sewerage system.