GHAZIABAD: Sahibabad industrial area, which is crumbling due to lack of infrastructure and civic amenities, is reeling under the animosity between the industries and meat processing units. The former has accused meat processing units of flouting norms, causing pollution and foul smell, the latter is refuted all these allegations unequivocally.
Though industrialists have made their displeasure known through their local associations, no solution to the stench situation has come forth yet. "This is one issue which has been taken to the authorities concerned time and again. We have even complained to the Pollution Control Board, but no action has been taken so far," said CL Dhir, Chairman, Industries Forum, Sahibabad.
The players acknowledge the fact that the meat processing industry is one of the biggest revenue generators in the area. The meat processing units in the area account for over Rs 1,200 crore merely through exports.
Though industrialists have made their displeasure known through their local associations, no solution to the stench situation has come forth yet. "This is one issue which has been taken to the authorities concerned time and again. We have even complained to the Pollution Control Board, but no action has been taken so far," said CL Dhir, Chairman, Industries Forum, Sahibabad.
The players acknowledge the fact that the meat processing industry is one of the biggest revenue generators in the area. The meat processing units in the area account for over Rs 1,200 crore merely through exports.
However, possibly its negatives are outweighing its positives. "No doubt, these are export-oriented units, but they (stench from the units) have become a nuisance for the area," added Mr Dhir.
Sanjay Sharma, Director, India Automotives, has been at the receiving end of the entire episode. "It's becoming impossible to survive here. There are days when foul smell does not stop emanating from these areas. It is unbearable and hazardous," said Mr Sharma, whose company manufactures auto parts in Sahibabad Industrial Area since 2006.
Neeraj Arora, Director, Lustre Illumination said, "The disposition of material in our premises is not proper. Vultures often hover over these units and drop shreds of flesh in our premises. They have created a lot of mess, but we cannot do anything," said Mr Arora, the owner of a decorative lights manufacturing unit with a turnover of Rs 3 crore.
Industrialists opined that the area is planned shabbily with units on both sides of a narrow road. Trucks of meat units block the roads, hampering traffic movement in the area, the players said unanimously. Often trucks are found parked at the gates of other units for several days, complained many.
Players are of the view that these meat-processing units should be relocated to some other area. Also, the proximity of these meat units to the residential areas makes their case weak. There have been complaints from residents to shut down meat units.
The Pollution Control Board (PCB) maintained regular checks are conducted and no norms were flouted by the meant units. However, "We have not received any complaint from anybody," said TU Khan, regional manager, PCB. "These are frozen units which are not abattoirs. Meat is only kept here," he said adding that the board would take action if these units are found to be deviating from set guidelines.
SMELL OF POLITICAL VENDETTA
Rebutting claims made by industrialists, meat processing units see this as a non-issue raked by a few. "The problem has suddenly appeared out of nowhere," said Sanjay Tyagi, owner of MK Overseas, one of the 10-12 units present in the area said. "This is nothing but a political vendetta by some to bring us down." MK is one of the biggest units in the region, exporting meat worth Rs 400 crore annually. Mr Tyagi informed that his company was paying a mammoth 25 percent in taxes apart from bringing in foreign currency in the country.
Mr Prabhakar, manager, Frigorifico Allana Limited, another unit in the region, also denied any kind of wrong doing on their part. Taking a potshot at the players in his vicinity he said, "Even we have problems with other units. There is a chemical unit which we find as a problem. What will you do now? PCB checks our facilities twice in a mount and it found no problems so far." Allana has also been in this industrial area for two decades and exports meat worth Rs 200 crore.
Rebutting claims made by industrialists, meat processing units see this as a non-issue raked by a few. "The problem has suddenly appeared out of nowhere," said Sanjay Tyagi, owner of MK Overseas, one of the 10-12 units present in the area said. "This is nothing but a political vendetta by some to bring us down." MK is one of the biggest units in the region, exporting meat worth Rs 400 crore annually. Mr Tyagi informed that his company was paying a mammoth 25 percent in taxes apart from bringing in foreign currency in the country.
Mr Prabhakar, manager, Frigorifico Allana Limited, another unit in the region, also denied any kind of wrong doing on their part. Taking a potshot at the players in his vicinity he said, "Even we have problems with other units. There is a chemical unit which we find as a problem. What will you do now? PCB checks our facilities twice in a mount and it found no problems so far." Allana has also been in this industrial area for two decades and exports meat worth Rs 200 crore.
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