Uttarakhand, GAIL form JV for power plants

With the natural gas all set to reach Uttarakhand, the government-owned State Infrastructure and Industrial Development Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (Sidcul) is holding talks with GAIL to set up two 300-Mw gas-based plants at Kashipur and Haridwar areas.

"We have already held talks with senior officials of GAIL to set up gas-based power plants in Uttarakhand," said a top official of the Sidcul.

This is the first diversification move by Sidcul which had set up several key industrial estates like Pantnagar and Haridwar in the hill state.

GAIL is constructing two pipelines to bring them to Kashipur and Haridwar areas in the hill state from Uttar Pradesh in one year’s time. Since the industries are currently facing the heat of the power crisis in the hill state, the Sidcul is taking the new initiative to provide gas-based energy to these industries which includes some of India’s big names like Nestle, Tata Motors and Hero Honda.

GAIL began constructions of these pipelines last year with the construction of Karanpur-Moradabad-Kashipur-Rudrapur pipeline in the first phase with a cost of Rs 250 crore. The pipeline will be 182 km in length. Similarly, the other pipeline is being brought from Saharanpur in Uttar Pradesh to Haridwar district of the state.

Besides this, Sidcul has also evinced interest in the city-based gas distribution. With the people in the hill state facing shortage of LPG cylinders, the Sidcul is also gearing up to prepare a blueprint for the city-based gas distribution in cities like Dehradun.

Nestle, Bajaj among 374 units causing pollution in U'khand

The strong industrialisation owing to hill-based tax incentives during the past few years may be a feel good factor in Uttarakhand. But all that glitters is not gold.

The Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board (UEPPCB) has identified nearly 374 industries causing pollution in the hill state. These industries include some big names like Tata Motors, Hindustan Uniliver, ITC, Hero Honda, Hindustan Zinc, Bajaj Auto and Nestle.

These are the findings of a survey conducted by the UEPPCB, which has now estimated that these industries may be discharging 15,000 metric tonnes of hazardous waste per annum in various forms like chemical effluents.

For this purpose, the UEPPCB has now given the task of managing waste from these industries to three companies – Bharat Oil, Continental Petroleum and Ambuja Cement. While Bharat Oil has put up its common hazardous waste treatment and storage disposal facility at Roorkee in Haridwar district, the other two companies are ferrying the waste outside the state for the disposal.

“We are regularly keeping checks on these industries so as to keep the environment green. The job becomes more important in Uttarakhand which has the tag of an environment-friendly state,” said Amarjeet Singh Oberai, Environment Officer of UEPPCB.

“Last year, we issued notices for closure to nearly 52 industries which were causing pollution,” said an official of the UEPPCB. These industries can store hazardous waste for a period of 90 days under the stringent environmental norms, thereafter, they have to get rid of the waste material, the official added.

Some of the industries like Hero Honda have set up their own facilities for hazardous waste management.

BS