As stage is set for public hearing on the Hyderabad Pharma City project on Wednesday, the Telangana government has claimed that the project will be environment-friendly and that it will generate 1.7 lakh jobs.

Addressing reporters here on Tuesday, State Industries Minister KT Rama Rao said the project, being taken up on 19,333 acres, would ill attract investments to the tune of ₹64,000 crore and generate exports worth ₹58,000 crore a year when completed.

‘No liquid discharge’

Countering criticism from the Opposition parties and villagers, the Minister claimed that the pharma city would ensure zero liquid discharge. It will have a common effluent treatment plant (CETP) that the State government is setting up, he said.

The Minister said the pharma industry in the city grew haphazardly, scattered in different areas, causing severe pollution.

“The units that will come up there can use the CETP and pay per the liquids they discharge. Only 24 per cent of the units will be in the red category,” he said.

Eight EoIs

As many as eight expressions of interest have been received from global players, including Toshiba and Sembcorp, for the CETP, the minister said.

Though the master plan for the project seeks to build a 66 MLD (million litres a day) plant, the phase one will have a CETP with a capacity of 24 MLD. After the public hearing and getting environmental clearances, the government plans to begin work on the 8,300-acre phase one of the project, which will come up on 8,000 acres. “We have acquired about 6,900 acres so far and we are in the process of acquiring the remaining land required for the first phase,” he said. The government will spend ₹1,500 crore on land acquisition, he added.

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