Pollution laws to hit Goa's sponge iron industry

摘要

FOR the sponge iron industry in India, Goa was a virgin territory that was relatively unexplored. The industry's hopesgot quashed last month when the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) put a ceiling on setting up sponge iron and scrap melting units in the state. Five units were already issued notices earlier this year by the Goa government, that wants to preserve the sylvan environment in the state. The sponge iron industry, say insiders, is partly to be blamed for the fiasco. "Producers, have in the past, used shortcuts to set up units and pollution control measures were often not implemented. However, it doesn't mean that the new plants will do the same," said an executive from a consulting company supplying technology to the sponge iron plants. The main reason for the shortcuts are the added costs that comes with pollution-control measures. Costs of setting up a unit can go up by almost 25 percent. "This is a large sum for small and medium entrepreneurs. The cost of setting up a standard unit with a capacity of 100 tonne per day is Rs 15 crore," an industry official said.