ASSOCHAM seeks govt intervention in CPCB recommendation for

Industry body ASSOCHAM has sought the government's intervention on Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) recommendation of shutting down all coal-based industrial units in Delhi-NCR for a fortnight from January 15 to contain air pollution during the upcoming ASEAN summit.

The ASEAN summit is scheduled to take place between January 19 and 30 in the national capital.

"While combating air pollution is important as it poses grave threat to human health, complying industrial units should not suffer because of administrative failure," the body said in a communication to Union Environment Minister Harsh Vardhan.

"It being the last quarter (January-March) of the ongoing financial year and the industry is required to meet production or sales targets committed to bankers or financial institutions, failure in doing so would cost them dearly," D S Rawat, secretary general of ASSOCHAM said.

Rawat said normalising operations would become very difficult if these industrial units are termed as non- performing assets (NPAs).

"Thus, the government must consider withdrawing CPCB recommendations for the benefit of industry," the ASSOCHAM secretary general said.

"The industry is not solely responsible for air pollution as construction activity, road dust, vehicular pollution, waste burning and other such factors are majorly responsible for deteriorating air quality, not just in Delhi-NCR but also in other urban centres across India," he said.

Expressing concern over the proposed shut down of industrial activity, ASSOCHAM in its communication said it would not only result in financial loss but will lead to unemployment and loss of productivity.

"The decision would hit livelihood of lakhs of labourers in Delhi-NCR thereby posing grave threats to industrial peace, law and order," it noted.

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