The Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) has set up a committee for shifting the polluting industries coming under Red and Orange categories outside the outer ring road (ORR) on the outskirts of Hyderabad. However, as majority of hospitals and some of non-polluting pharma companies and other firms which are also grouped under the Orange list are now facing the problem of getting shifted because of their listing into the Orange category. But, now the pollution control board authorities have decided to remove the Orange tag to those companies and regroup them under green category to avoid their shifting.
As part of state government’s efforts to ensure environmental protection and reduce the pollution of air, water and land in and around Hyderabad city, as many as 1,160 units have been identified as polluting industries in the city. Of these companies, 803 are categorized into Red category and most polluting units, while 357 units have been categorized into Orange category.
According to pollution control board authorities, industries which are having pollution index score of 60 and above are grouped in the Red category. Industries with a score of 41-59 are grouped into Orange Category. Recently, the central government has added a new category called White category. Those companies which get pollution index score of up to 20 are put in the White category. And those companies which score a pollution index between 21-40 are categorized in to Green category.
Based on these categorization, the state government had issued an order vide GO no 20 relating to shifting of the Red and Orange category industries outside of ORR. But since majority of hospitals with more than 100 beds are also coming in the Orange category, the TSPCB officials have asked the committee members to re-consider the GO and change the hospitals which are being categorized under Orange to Green.
“We have asked the committee to exempt the shifting of Hospitals, non polluting pharma firms, printing presses and three-star hotels which are s in Orange list. For this, the committee members have considered favorably and all such firms will be re-grouped into Green category list so as to avoid shifting beyond ORR,” said a senior official at TSPCB.