The bulk drug manufacturers in Andhra Pradesh are agitated over the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board's (APPCB) refusal to give permission for the use of coal fired boilers. While the APPCB is insisting on the use of oil fired boilers on pollution concerns, the industry says that the use of expensive oil fired boilers is not economically viable in this highly competitive global environment.

The bulk drugs units in AP have sought state governments intervention in the matter. A Bulk Drug Manufacturers Association (BDMA) delegation had recently met the state minister for forests and environment Ramachandra Reddy and sought his intervention in the matter for a lasting solution to the issue.

It is an international practice that process industries operate with coal fired boilers for steam generation. Here the APPCB is insisting on changing the coal fired boiler to oil fired boiler. The cost of operation of oil fired boiler will be five times more than the coal fired boiler. "In this highly competitive field, we cannot compete with domestic and international markets when units in states like Maharashtra and Gujarat can offer lower rates due to cost effective usage of coal as fuel", BDMA president M Narayana Reddy said.

All over the world the boiler stack emissions are maintained within their prescribed limits by using Bag filters and Cyclone separators and the same can be adopted here also. "As such we request you to view the things in the right perspective and advise the APPCB not to insist on the change to oil fired boiler", the BDMA president said.

The BDMA is also upset over the APPCBs practice of non processing effluents being counted along with effluents generated in the manufacture and production against the practices of industry.

Water consumed and wastewater generated from non process operations may not be restricted so long as the waste water sent to CETP is maintained upto its entitlement. The non process operations include garden, domestic, boiler, cooling tower, compressors, floor washing where there are no organic contaminations, the BDMA said.