The report says that 2083 units of these eight categories of industries are air, water and to a lesser extent sound than their counterparts. These have to be shifted in a planned manner. Land measuring 2,437 acres with an estimated cost of Rs. 351.70 crores will be required for relocating them on new sites. The report has made specific recommendations for relocating pesticide-manufacturing units too.

The 15 categories of industries which were brought under the purview of the survey were (1) foundry; (2) re-rolling mill; (3) Paints and Varnish; (4) Pigments; (5) Coal Briquette; (6) Rubber molding with Boiler; (7) Storage Battery; (8) Drugs and Pharmaceuticals; (9) Acid manufacturing and formulation; (10) Pesticide formulation; (11) Antimonial lead (non-ferrous foundry); (12) Galvanizing; (13) Anodizing; (14) Electroplating; (15) Engineering fabrication and light engineering.

The Directorate has recommended shifting of the first eight categories of industries to new sites. The rest comprising Anodizing. Electroplating Galvanizing Acid manufacturing units are financially very week and they can be allowed to run their respective industries after they install appropriate devices to check pollution. Side by side a separate chemical complex can be built to house small chemical units. According to an estimate there are 300 such chemical units only in Howrah.

The Calcutta Environment Management Committee has already suggested that strong action be taken against industrial units in the greater Calcutta area polluting the environment. No such new units are at all allowed to be set up in the heart of the city. Tannery, battery manufacturing units, acid manufacturing units using acid for softening or liquefying gold are highly harmful and decisions have been taken to shift them out of the metropolis in phases.

The Directorate's report has only added teeth to earlier recommendations. There are 572 foundry units in CMA. The melting furnaces of these furnaces release solid particulate matter, which pollute air. There are 463 such foundries in Howrah alone. Relocation is an 'imperative' need so far these foundries are concerned. This will have to be done on an emergency basis. The Director has suggested two complexes, each of 500 acres he created. Suitable locations for the complexes are Uluberia, Delhi Road and Falta. Each complex will cost around Rs. 48 crores.

Of a total of 224 re-rolling mills 201 are in Howrah, Liluah Ghusuri and Belur etc. The Directorate suggests a complex measuring 500 acres be set up. The ideal location is Dankuni. For transferring the paint and varnish units a 200-acre plot is necessary. If provision has to be made for new units another 100 acres of land be arranged. These units can be taken to Budge Budge Delhi Road or to Uluberia. Rs 28 crores are proposed to be spent for shifting. There are 278 coal briquette units. To shift these from their present sites 260 acres of land will be required in the new sites. These could be taken to Domjur, Dnakuni, Kona or Uluberia. The expenditure is estimated at Rs. 24 crores.

Of a total of 427 rubber molding units, 221 are in Howrah. For relocating these units, 356 acres of land will be needed. The Directorate proposes that Budge, Falta, Baruipur, Kalyani, Dankuni, Uluberia may be selected for relocating those units. An expenditure of Rs. 33 crores is proposed for the transfer and relocation. For shifting the storage battery units totaling 75, 15 acres of land have to be found in Rajpur, Budge Budge, or on Delhi road. As estimated Rs. 161 crores will be required for the purpose. In the CMA there are 243 drugs and pharmaceutical units. The cost of relocation is of these industries estimated at Rs. 2.70 crores.

Industries polluting environment will have to be shifted outside the CMA. The State Government has promised all help to the owners of these industries including finding land for them. The State government will also find financial institutions, which may be willing to provide loans for relocation of the concerned unit or units.

The Cottage and Small Scale Industries Minister, Pralay Talukdar has made it clear that there is no alternative to relocating the polluting industrial units. The West Bengal Pollution Control Board would not brook inordinate delay in the matter.

The polluting units would have to follow the judgment of courts and the directive of the Pollution Control Board. In 1993 and 1996 the court and the Pollution Control Board issued orders for closing down some of the polluting units. Somehow, the worst had been averted then. Following the Supreme Court verdict several foundry units had to be closed down in Coembatore in Tamil Nadu, Talukdar said. In 6,000 tanneries in Agra operations have been suspended in the wake of court judgement.

The State Government, Taklukdar said, was to act as a catalytic agent in finding suitable land for relocating the concerned unit by arranging sanitation and sewerage facilities in the complex and supplying power to the relocated unit. Considering the constraints the State Government suffers from so far as fund is concerned, the centre will have to come forward to provide funds for the purpose. Simultaneously of course, stress will have to be laid on modernization of the units.