The Union Ministry of Textiles would resolve the issue of pollution being caused by discharge of effluents by textile industries in Telangana State. Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) MP from Karimnagar B Vinod Kumar raised the issue of non-utilisation of Rs 500 crore allocated for the Integrated Processing Development Scheme (IPDS) under the 12th Five-Year Plan to address environment-related problems. Replying to the question, Minister of State for Textiles Santosh Kumar Gangwar told the MP that he was aware of the problem of the Telangana textile industry.

He asked the State government to send a proposal for the entire cluster and promised help from the Central government in dealing with the pollution caused by the textile industry. Vinod alleged that the ministry was discriminating between small units and large units. Under the scheme, only those projects with maximum ceiling of Rs 75 crore would be subsidised by the Government of India in ensuring zero liquid discharge and the scheme was non-applicable to a number of small units in the country.

The Karimnagar MP said that small textile units in Sircilla, Warangal, Pochampally, Gadwal and other towns in Telangana State were facing several problems due to pollution and they would not be in a position to run the units if they installed water treatment units. Moreover, funds to the tune of Rs 500 crore remained unutilised due to lack of clear policies in IPDS, he said. “In the name of environmental problems, officials are harassing the small units.

Due to stringent guidelines, no State government could submit the proposals,” Vinod said. The Textiles Minister said that the problem related to pollution by the textile industries would be resolved once the Telangana State government submits its plan.