The Hindu Business Line : EIA sought for each unit in pharma city

THREATENED ENVIRONS: A scenic view of Parawada near Visakhapatnam, where foundation has been laid for the Jawaharlal Nehru Pharma City spread over 2,200 acres of land. Environmentalists fear that concentration of bulk drug and pharma companies will ruin the pristine environment. - A. Roy Chowdhury

Visakhapatnam , Sept. 27

EXPRESSING concern over the possible adverse environmental impact of the pharma city at Parawada, Captain J. Rama Rao, environmentalist, has urged the State Government to make separate environmental impact assessment (EIA) mandatory for each unit.

In a statement issued here on Monday, he said the decision to set up a pharma city at Parawada had been taken in haste, as according to the final analysis of Geographic Information Mapping Systems (GIS) mapping, carried out earlier by the Indian Resources and Information and Management Technologies Ltd, it was not suitable for bulk drug industry. Parawada was suitable only for "low air and water pollution potential industries," he said.

Therefore, he said, there was every reason to fear that the Bay of Bengal would be used as a dumping ground for toxic substances by the bulk drug industry.

The proposed common effluent treatment facility was quite outdated and it did not work in Hyderabad, he said.

Therefore, he said, the environmental pros and cons for each unit should be weighed carefully and separate EIA was absolutely essential. He also urged the Government not to allow the industry to exploit groundwater.

All units to be set up in the pharma city should be compelled to adhere to the US Environmental Pollution Prevention Standards and to adopt cleaner technologies.

In another statement, Dr T. Patanjali Sastry, of the Centre for Environment, Rajahmundry, also regretted the decision of the Government to set up the pharma city in Visakhapatnam district.

"Everyone knows how irresponsibly the industry behaved in Hyderabad and polluted Patancheruvu and other areas. The same tragedy should not be re-enacted at Parawada," he said and urged the Government to take all preventive steps.

Mr J. Nageswara Rao, Secretary of the Parawada Displaced Welfare Association, said all pollution control measures should be taken, as the future of the fishermen and the farmers in the vicinity depended on it.

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