The Asansol Durgapur Development Authority will introduce an app-based technology to monitor the green growth in the industrial region of Asansol-Durgapur on the advice of chief minister Mamata Banerjee, said ADDA chairman Kabi Dutta.

At a high-level meet, attended by top officials from ADDA, Durgapur Municipal Corporation (DMC), Durgapur civil administration, forest department, pollution control and other departments were also present, it was decided that all the polluting factories and industries operating in the region will be asked to maintain a green patch surrounding their factories.

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Till a few years ago, the Asansol-Durgapur industrial region was one of the most polluted regions of the country. In 2019, the Impact Assessment Division (IED) of the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change had ordered the setting up of a joint inspection team for monitoring the environmental compliance status of the sponge iron units and cement plants located in this industrial region.

There are sponge iron units, integrated steel plants, cement plants and coal mines in this region. The then Union minister of environment, forests and climate control, Babul Supriyo, who was also the local MP was also very much vocal against the air pollution in the area.

About four years ago, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) listed Asansol and Durgapur amongst the 30 most polluted cities in the country due to the presence of high percentage of sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide in the air, but lifted the ban in March 2017.

Talking to The Statesman, Mr Dutta said that the local industries will be encouraged to plant trees surrounding their factories to increase the green patches in the industrial regions. To encourage them, the urban body, along with the local civic bodies, and other stakeholders will give away an award every year for their contributions in increasing the greenery of the surrounding areas.

“This was an idea by our chief minister and we have planned to implement it by monitoring and tracking the green patches through an app so that even after getting the award the concerned factory or company is continuing with their good work or not,” he said.

The main idea and objective is to ensure that after planting saplings, these companies maintain them with proper care and watering throughout the year so that they remain alive and become large trees in the years to come, Mr Dutta added.

The MoEFCC has also set up 200 Nagar Vans in the country, out of which two are in Bengal – Asansol and Durgapur. The urban forest has been set up on 20 hectares of land.