HYDERABAD: Around 700 stone cutting and polishing units located in Tandur of Vikarabad district will be shifted to a new industrial park being developed for them at Navalga village of Basheerabad mandal in the same district, informed the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) in its report to the National Green Tribunal.
The TSPCB submitted this report as part of an ongoing hearing in the NGT on the issue of air pollution in Tandur, which was brought to the Tribunal’s notice by the Tandur Citizens Welfare Society, following which it was taken up suo moto.A joint committee of experts constituted by the NGT to look into the matter had pointed out that stone dust generated by the stone cutting and polishing units was one of the main reasons behind the pollution.
The TSPCB, in its report, submitted that the Telangana State Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (TSIIC) had identified 300 acres land in Basheerabad mandal for shifting of the stone cutting and polishing units. Of this, 212 acres had already been acquired and the rest was to be acquired as per the LARR Act, 2013.
While the TSPCB said in its report that shifting of the units will be taken up by February 2022, it is to be seen if this would materialise by then as for it to happen, 88 acres land is yet to be acquired, the layout has to be approved by the government and then necessary permissions are to be sought including Environment Clearance and budgetary approvals, and allocation of plots has to be taken up by the Industries Department.
Bypass road in progress
The Pollution Control Board also provided information in its report regarding the present status of a 12.92 km-long bypass road being constructed, connecting Tandur to Vikarabad and Hyderabad, to be used by lorries transporting cement. As of now, the lorries pass through Tandur, causing lot of pollution.