In a grand show, made more ostentatious in the presence of prominent industrialists today, (while detaining pollution-affected activists Salim Patel and Jayesh Patel) Anil Dave, Union Environment Minister accompanied with Mr. Vijay Rupani, the Chief Minister of Gujarat lifted the earlier imposed moratorium on polluting industries in this belt recently.
Vowing to continue the struggle against long term damages to the environment, senior human rights activist, Rohit Prajapati said that “the Union environment Minister guarantees two things: the appeasement of polluting industries and irreversible damage to the environment.”
The imposition of Moratorium during the UPA Government was a quiet affair that stands in stark contrast today when the BJP government lifted the moratorium in a grand show in the presence of Industrialists from Vapi, Ankleshwar & Vatva. The announcement of the lifting of the moratorium in such a brazen way clearly tells loudly and openly to the people of India that Government’s environment ministry is not for protection of environment and instead has an agenda ‘Of the Industrial Lobby, By the Industrial Lobby and For the Industrial Lobby.’
The Chief Minister of Gujarat & Environment Minister, Government of India now stands responsible with the polluting industries of the area for the immediate repercussion of such hasty decision on the environment of the area.
Prajapati says that “the ground water of these areas is severely polluted and no concrete steps are taken for the remedial measures to decontaminate the ground water.Who is going to take the remedial steps to decontaminate the ground water? Does Mr. Modi Government’s “Swachh Bharat Mission” have any plan to decontaminate the ground water of these industrial clusters? “
He draws attention to the report of the Central Pollution Control Board “GROUND WATER POLLUTION IN LUNA, DUDHAWADA, PILUDARA AREA NEAR VADODARA, GUJARAT”, July 2016 and “REPORT ON EFFLUENT CONVEYANCE SYSTEM (M/S ECPL) FOR NANDESARI INDUSTRIAL AREA AND INDUSTRIES LOCATED NEAR VADODARA, GUJARAT”, February 2010 and visit this area with the press and answer the questions of the press there after.
Rohit Prajapati has also stated that since the much touted Ministry of Environment and Climate Change refuses to take policy decision to protect and improve the environment; it should drop the pretense of its existence and merge itself with the Ministry of Industry. The State Pollution Control Boards and Central Pollution Control Board should also now be merged with the Industries Commissionerate.