Textile, sugar industries found most polluting: MPCB

Mumbai: Recent Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) data has found the textile and sugar industries in the state as most polluting. More than half of the textile industries analysed have got a rating of three stars or below (polluting to heavily polluting).

The MPCB’s star rating programme for industries has found about 67 per cent of textile industries to be polluting. Several large industrial plants have been rated on a scale of one to five stars based on their level of particulate emission.

One star is indicative of non-compliance whereas five stars are indicative of compliance. “One star” industries emit a minimum of 350 mg/m3 of particulate matter. At 29, the Thane district has been found to have the highest number of “one star” industrial units.

The district has also been found to have the highest number of “two star” industries (15), with Pune following suit.

A MPCB official said, “However, the number of polluted industries has reduced in Thane as compared to last year. Many industries have been changing to cleaner fuels in Thane and Navi Mumbai. However, industries related to textiles and chemicals are the most polluted here. We have been monitoring the data under the star rating programme and issuing notices based on the same.”

Overall in Maharashtra, 20 textile industries have been found to be under the “two star” category while 23 textile industries have been found to be under the “one star” category.

Similarly, around 43 sugar industries and distilleries have been found to be under both the “two star” and “one star” categories but none of them are based in Thane. Similarly, 26 chemical and 20 metal industries have been found to be polluting in the state.