The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA), on February 2, Thursday, asked the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) to set up common effluent treatment plants at industrial estates and industrial areas to enable businesses in Karnataka to comply with pollution control regulations.
KASSIA said KSPCB should help industries in compliance instead of issuing notices and harassing them. The trade body also pointed out that such notices were issued to industries that had applied for consent through the KSPCB helpdesk and requested the board to take note of these issues.
The apex body also called for reducing the consent fee as the present fee was not affordable to most industries. It also suggested that the fee should be fixed based on the value of the plant and machinery as mentioned in the balance sheet and not as per the invoice value. It also said such calculations should not include the value of land and building, office equipment, furniture, and computer software, which were non-polluting assets.
It also requested that industrial units, licensed to operate for 10 years with consent on rental premises when they shifted from one place to another within the same location, should be allowed to operate under the same consent and not be required to apply again for fresh consent.
KASSIA office bearers, headed by President Narasimhamurthy K.N,. were speaking at a special interaction attended by Anand Prithviraj Singh, Minister of Tourism, Ecology and Environment of Karnataka. The interactive session was also attended by Shanth A. Thimmaiah, chairman and Srinivasulu, IFS, Member-Secretary, KSPCB.
