Maharashtra likely to monitor industrial water discharge in MIDC areas

The state government is mulling a plan to monitor industrial water discharge in the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) areas with a view to keeping pollution in check.

Minister of State for Industries, Pravin Pote, said the initiative is modelled along the lines of air quality indicators set up in Mumbai.

"The government is considering a proposal to monitor industrial water discharge in MIDC areas," he said, adding that there are about 1,200 to 1,500 electroplating factories in and around Mumbai which cause various kinds of pollution.

The minister, meanwhile, said that the department is also working on ways to ensure survival of small-scale industrial units in the state.

"It has come to our notice that many such units take government subsidies after five years of operation and then shut down," Pote said.

"There were reports that since 1996, 72,000 units have shut down. However, 1.5 to 2 lakh new units have also been set up in this period," the minister said.

"We want to set up a cluster of about 2,000 factories within a radius of 25-km away from the city. There is employment of over one lakh people in such industries and that cannot be overlooked," he added.