Industries Minister Murugesh Nirani on Friday said that the government would not hesitate to act tough against polluting industries in Ballari.
Replying to a question raised by Bellary City BJP MLA G Somashekhar Reddy, Nirani pointed out that the government is aware that industrial units such as textiles, pharmaceuticals, rice mills besides several other units are functioning in thickly populated residential localities in Ballari.
“Some of these units are highly pollutant and violate several norms. We have given them time to relocate their units in the newly-formed industrial layout in Veniveerapura on the outskirts of the city. If they fail to relocate or fail to comply with the stipulated norms, the state government will have no choice but to act tough by ordering for closure of such units in the city,” Nirani said.
Earlier, Reddy observed that Ballari’s air had turned “poisonous” due to the presence of industrial units within residential localities. “They are not following any norms. They spew poisonous gases. Nearly 50,000 people live in the vicinity of these pollutant industrial units,” he said, urging the government to act.