Environmentalists oppose panel formed to restore industrial cluster

HYDERABAD: Environmentalists from the city are up in arms against the composition of the committee formed by the Telangana government recently, for restoration of environmental qualities in the Patancheru-Bollaram industrial cluster.

The committee was formed in pursuance of the orders passed last December by the National Green Tribunal, that directed all State pollution control boards in the country to finalize time-bound action plans within three months. This was to be implemented in identified polluted industrial clusters and for restoration of environmental qualities in these areas within prescribed norms.

A major point of opposition to this committee is that it involves only bureaucrats and no one from the civil society or even experts. The State-constituted the committee last month, with mostly just senior bureaucrats in the panel. The Member Secretary of Telangana State Pollution Control Board is its Member Secretary.

Environmental activist D Narsimha Reddy observed, “Can this committee, full of bureaucrats, who in the first place ignored their functions, come up with an action plan? Do they have time? Can they think out of the box? Are they amenable to ideas from civil society?”

He further added that the GO issued by the State government talks of restoration of identified polluted clusters, but the NGT order gives scope for identifying even non-identified polluted clusters and conducting restoration works.

Another activist BV Subba Rao said, “If the government is serious, it should take on experts in the committee rather than make pollution control an internal government matter by appointing just senior bureaucrats.”