NAGPUR: It seems the BJP-Sena government’s Make In Maharashtra campaign will come at the cost of the environment, rivers in particular. In place for 15 years, the Rivers Regulation Zone (RRZ) policy has been scrapped by the government, terming it ultra vires of the Constitution and also in contravention of the National Environment Policy. Now, all industries, including coal mines and other polluting units, can be established closer to rivers, leading to speedy death of the lifelines that are already polluted, say green activists.

The new government seems to be under pressure to kick-start industrial development. Soon after statements by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis over the last month, the state environment department had issued a notification on January 15 relaxing the RRZ policy norms for some highly polluting industries by reclassifying them.

The notification reached the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) offices on January 19. But even before the notification signed by principal secretary Ajoy Mehta was implemented, the RRZ policy and the latest notification stand scrapped.

The state cabinet decided in a meeting on Tuesday to scrap the RRZ policy. The notification will be issued after confirmation of the minutes of the meeting in the next cabinet sitting.

Fadnavis told TOI the law and judiciary department gave the opinion that the RRZ policy was ultra vires of the Constitution, since it was out of the scope and competence of the state government . “RRZ also contravenes the national policy. It was a bad instrument as it doesn’t mitigate pollution. National policy mitigates and also regulates. We can’t have a policy which is against the constitution,” he said.

Fadnavis added that a new policy will be framed in conformity with the national policy. “All clearances will be given to industries in conformity with the national environment policy till introduction of a new policy. I am a lover of water bodies. New policy will cover all issues,” he said.

However, convener of Vidarbha Environmental Action Group Sudhir Paliwal said rivers will soon become history in Vidarbha region, just like the RRZ policy. “Rivers are already polluted to a great extent and its main resource – water is being stolen by big industries like power plants etc. Many industries, including coal mines, power plants, cement units etc were seeking permission since long to establish close to rivers. RRZ policy did not permit it and saved the rivers from becoming dumping grounds for highly polluted industrial waste, fly ash etc. Now, there will be no control on industries. Vidarbha will pay the price as all coal mines are situated in this region and also majority of the polluting industries. Unfortunately, coal mines and many industrial areas are already close to rivers, and will come more closer to it now,” he said.

Some rivers in Vidarbha have already paid the price for coal mining activities near them. Even incidents of diversion of river for coal mines have happened.

RTI activist TH Naidu said the government should have scrapped RRZ policy only after introducing a new policy that ensures river conservation. “Now, MPCB and environment department can permit industries close to rivers since there is no provision of regulation on distance criteria from rivers in any policy, including the national environment policy. Many industries will have come up near rivers by the time a new policy is introduced,” he said.

As far as Nag river is concerned, the water body is likely to vanish in the first stretch from village Lava to Ambazari lake. The river had already turned into a sewage carrying nullah, and was encroached upon to a great extent despite the RRZ policy in place. More damage to the river was prevented due to distance criteria in the RRZ policy.

Industries associations were demanding permission to establish units on river banks since long. Now, there will be no control, leading to a big setback for various efforts taken to rejuvenate the river. Similarly, Ambazari and Gorewada lakes too will face threats.

How RRZ Policy Was River Saviour

A-I Class Rivers: No industries within 3km from river high flood level, green and orange category industries permitted between 3km and 8km, any industry after 8km

A-II Class Rivers: No development zone in 500 meter from rivers banks, green category industries allowed between 500 meter and 1km, orange category industries in 1-2km, any industry beyond 2km

A-III and A-IV Class Rivers: No industry within 500 meter from river high flood area, green and orange category industries permitted in 500 to 1km, any industry beyond 1km

MIDC: No development zone within 500 meter from rivers banks, green and orange category industries permitted between 500 and 750 meter, any industry from 750 meter onwards, subject to common effluent plant with zero discharge

BEFORE SCRAPPING, THE RRZ ROLLBACK

* Days before the RRZ was scrapped completely, the categorization of some industries had been revised with the sole intention of bypassing RRZ policy

* Coal mining (80-100 meter or more depth), which is considered as most polluting industry, was earlier placed in red category and permitted only 8km away from river banks. Recently, it was allowed 250m away from banks of all river banks

* Even other coal mining activities were allowed 100 meters away from the rivers banks. Only 100 meter area from river banks was declared as ‘no development zone’. After that, coal mine embankment could be constructed, with dumping of overburden and mining allowed from 250 meter away from river high flood level

* Cement industry, another highly polluting industry of earlier ‘red category’ was reclassified as ‘green category’. From a 1km limit from all river banks, cement industry was allowed to be set up just 500 meters away from any class of rivers except class A-I

* Category of most polluting industries, like small power plants, fly ash industries, asbestos plants etc were changed to orange category from earlier red category

