The bulk drug manufacturing units in Andhra Pradesh are planning to meet the new Chief Minister to revive their demand for lifting the ban on the expansion and setting up of new manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad and adjacent industrial areas.

According to informed sources, the bulk drug units in the state will be shortly making a representation to the government to lift the ban imposed on expansion and setting up of new manufacturing units in and around Hyderabad.

Bulk Drugs Manufacturers Association (BDMA) justifying its demand cite the example of Patancheru, which was included in the list of most polluted industrial areas in the country a couple of years ago by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest. But, the area has been now cleared from the list of highly polluted locations in the country.

BDMA sources said that it was true that two decades ago there was a pollution issue in this area since industry was not fully aware of the seriousness of the problem and also due to non availability of right technologies to control the pollution.

Now the situation has changed and industry has realized the seriousness of the issue and most of the units are of the view that they cannot survive in the business without taking care of the environment. Sources pointed out that the industry has implemented several systems, including setting up of effluent treatment plants, to check the pollution problem.

In the 90s the industry was struggling to introduce environment friendly systems. Now over the years, they have invested heavily for pollution control measures and currently 90 per cent of the bulk drug manufacturing units in the state are environment friendly.

Sources said that the Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) industry in the state, with more than 200 units, is growing at the rate of 10 to 15 per cent. It can grow at the pace of 25 per cent with the government support.

The bulk drug manufacturers are also expected to propose to the government to promote industries in districts such as Nalgonda, which have huge tracts of barren land. However, the government is not expected the take a decision in the immediate future as the state is ridden with political instability.