$4.2 Bn UNIDO fund to check India's industrial pollution
Wednesday, 21 May 2008, 17:46 IST
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New Delhi: Concerned over the alarming state of industrial pollution in the country, the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO) will offer its expertise to India under a $4.2 billion fund to ensure "a clean and green industry", officials said Monday. The $4.2 billion fund has been raised through external agencies under a five-year agreement signed between the Indian government and the UNIDO in Vienna last Friday, UNIDO's regional director for South Asia Philippe R. Scholtes told reporters here. The organisation's role will be limited to sharing expertise with the Indian government, he added. "We are not here to substitute the responsibilities of the government. Our role will be limited to providing expertise to the Indian government as to how it could control industrial pollution, which was effecting its export potential," he said. The UNIDO as well as the government were yet to work out details of the project. "We would solely depend on the Indian government for feedback on the issues concerning the project," Scholtes said. When asked, commerce and industry ministry joint secretary N.N. Prasad said the government was yet to identify the places where the project would be implemented. "We have to first do a cluster mapping. It will take time. But we may start the project before the mapping is done," said Prasad. Besides industrial pollution, the UNIDO would also look at other issues like investment promotion, water conservation practices, issues concerning intellectual property rights, skill development in industry, energy efficiency and developing new manufacturing technologies. "The focus will also be on key manufacturing sectors, especially small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and also sectors like leather, textiles, auto components, chemical and food processing industries," said Prasad.
Source: IANS
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