The following newspaper report, was published on 9th April, 2012.
“The districts of Jodhpur, Barmer and / Pali in Rajasthan have over 2000 textile units engaged imprinting and dyeing’ of cloth, which are posing a major threat to the environment and ecology of then- respective regions in the absence of an effluent disposal plan and adequate Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs). The state High Court has asked the units in Barmer district to close.
Union Textiles Minister Anand Sharma said the industries cannot be allowed to be closed down and we need to come out with a solution as per the wish of the High Court.” .
Do you feel that the minister was right? If so, what steps should be taken? Give your reasons.
The minister was correct in the part of his
statement that the industries cannot be allowed to be closed down, as this would render thousands of people jobless. But, instead of just satisfying the High Court, he should have asked the dyeing and printing industries to install adequate Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs), which can be established by pooling the resources of a group of industries in a particular area.
This will entail additional expenditure on the industries, which they should be willing to bear in the interest of the environment and ecology of the region.