Gujarat Chamber of Commerce & Industry, in association with Naroda Enviro Projects Ltd. & Centre for Environment Education, organized a lecture “GPCB’s Positive Action to Support Industry” & “Hazardous Waste Management Practices: Trends and Prospects” on September 04, 2013 at 04:00 pm at GCCI. Shri Hardik Shah, Member Secretary - GPCB, and Shri Kartikeya Sarabhai, Director - CEE, were the chief guests of the session.
In his welcome address, Shri Shankerbhai Patel, President - GCCI, emphasized on the 3 R’s of the environment - Recycle, Reduce, Reuse - and said that companies must resort to technological up-gradation and efficient production methods to protect environment. He iterated the evolved role of Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB) from Policeman to that of a Doctor. In his theme address, Shri Shailesh Patwari insisted on the urgent need to ensure sustainable environment protection and for that all the stakeholders - industry and the regulatory body - needs to work in co-operation with each other.
In his address, Shri Hardik Shah described the role of GPCB as regulatory organization and believed that the mindset and attitude of the industry towards environment needs to change. He highlighted various positive measures taken by GPCB such as Environment Clinic, Helpdesk, Third Party monitoring, Research Centre, Environment Audit Scheme and others in the benefit of industry. He ensured full support of GPCB to all the industries in guiding them for proper waste management and effluent treatment techniques. He appealed that it is an ardent need of hour to strike right balance between development and environment. In his address, Shri Kartikeya Sarabhai reiterated the fact that Waste is just a resource at the wrong place. He insisted on resorting to various local approaches such as car pooling and others to reduce the domestic environment pollution and become a Zero Waste city. He also stressed that there is important need to strengthen academia-industry relation.
In the interactive session, various questions related to product change, production quantity and disposal of waste at TSDF sites, pollution from rolling & steel mills and plastic industry amongst others were taken up - to which the guests responded in all minute details. The lecture concluded with Vote of Thanks by Shri Bimal Parikh, Hon. Sec. GCCI.
