Surat: Environmental activists have written to the prime minister’s office (PMO) and the ministry of environment & forests (MoEF), alleging that some officials of government agencies and industrialists were trying to jeopardize the ongoing environmental monitoring of industrial areas in and around the Diamond City by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), thus putting at risk the lives of 50 lakh people of Surat.The CPCB had appointed a Kolkata-based agency to monitor industrial area environmental situation under Comprehensive Environmental Pollution Index (CEPI), a rational number to characterize environmental quality at a specific location. The team that arrived last week has been collecting data and samples of ambient air quality, surface water quality and pollution level and groundwater quality and their critical pollution levels from the industrial areas in and around the city.After 2009, this is first time that such an exercise by an independent agency is being conducted to categorize critically polluted areas. Brackish Water Research Committee (BWRC) president MHS Sheikh said, “The ongoing environmental monitoring under CEPI in Surat is just an eyewash. The industrial estate managers and individual industry units in Surat had bent the scientifically developed central scheme with the blessings of government officials.”The letter by environmental activists states that some officials had allegedly instructed the industrial associations to either stop production or reduce production to avoid any kind of high pollution load to be recorded during the CEPI study period. It further states over 60 per cent of the industrial units, which include chemical and textile processing industries in and around Surat, are closed since the last few days because of the fact that monitoring is going on.Surat industrial area has never been classified under critically polluted area because of the nature of its industries. Diamond City mainly houses dyeing printing houses, textile- related industry of weaving, yarn spinning and engineering units. Unlike industrial areas of Vapi and Ankleshwar, Surat industrial areas of Sachin, Palsana or even Pandesara do not house more than seven per cent of chemical or pharma-related industries.South Gujarat Processors Association (SGTPA) president Jitu Vakharia told TOI, “Textile processing units have been keeping the units shut for three days a week since last many months post-GST in view of dwindling demand for polyester fabric. It is not right to say that 60 per cent units are closed to hoodwink the environmental survey. We are abiding by all the pollution norms and have the country’s best common effluent treatment plants.”

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