Latest news with #P.Krishnaiah
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
APPCB chief tells industries to prioritise environment and safety
Prioritise environment and safety, not just for compliance, but for competitiveness, Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) Chairman P. Krishnaiah urged the industries at the CII conference on industrial pollution on Friday. Stakeholders from industry, academia and regulatory bodies deliberated on sustainable industrial practices, environmental compliance, and policy collaboration. Mr. Krishnaiah, while delivering the inaugural address, urged the industries to accord a top priority to environmental safety and pollution prevention in management reviews. Those aspects should not be just a checkbox before audits, he said. Referring to technology adoption, Mr. Krishnaiah stressed that green technologies are no longer optional, but essential. Technology is the only long-term solution to mitigate pollution, he affirmed. State-level recycling policy Andhra Pradesh is in the process of formulating a State-level recycling policy, backed by incentives, to promote entrepreneurship in the sector. He noted the underutilisation of recyclable waste in southern India. Sharing his experience from the Material Recycling Association of India (MRAI) Expo, he said India's western States were far ahead in industrial recycling. Mr. Krishnaiah called on industries to consider waste as a resource, citing examples like a textile plant in Ongole that recycles even salt residues. He proposed forming a CII-led Industrial Technology Forum supported by seed funding from the A.P. Pollution Control Board to drive innovation and environmental excellence. ESG compliance G. Murali Krishna, Chairman, CII Andhra Pradesh, highlighted the increasing sensitivity of global investors towards ESG compliance. He emphasised that future industrial growth hinges on adopting zero liquid discharge systems, real-time environmental monitoring, and robust safety protocols. S. Narasimha Sastry, president & unit head, Grasim Industries Ltd, BB Puram, underscored the need to 'minimise, mitigate, and move forward' to achieve global competence in pollution control. S. Bala Prasad, Head of the Department of Environmental Science Engineering and Management at Andhra University, deliberated upon the evolving landscape of wastewater management. He introduced the concept of 'water plus'—treating wastewater as a resource rather than a burden. He spoke on the potential of bio-electrochemical technologies that allow wastewater treatment plants to function as chemical refineries, producing value-added outputs like hydrogen, thereby contributing to both sustainability and profitability.
The Hindu
05-05-2025
- Science
- The Hindu
Citing incomplete information, scientists urge APPCB to defer public hearing for TGV SRAAC expansion unit
Scientists for People, a non-profit organisation based out of Hyderabad, has expressed serious concern over the alleged omissions and violations in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report submitted by TGV SRAAC Limited for its proposed expansion of chlorine chemicals, PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene), commonly known as Teflon) and chloromethanes manufacturing units in Gondiparla of Kurnool district. A group of scientists wrote a letter to A.P. Pollution Control Board Chairman P. Krishnaiah, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Secretary Tanmay Kumar and Kurnool District Collector P. Ranjit Basha on Monday, requesting that the public hearing for the proposed expansion be rescheduled, because the EIA report had reportedly not provided comprehensive details about various greenhouse gas emissions. The EIA report, the organisation said, did not mention information regarding the alleged use and disposal of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), including CCl₄ and Trifluoroethane (R23), and inadequately assessed the risks associated with potential toxic release of chemicals such as chlorine. ''The report does not mention whether Perfluorooctanoic Acid (PFOA), a Persistent Organic Pollutant (POP) listed under the Stockholm Convention, will be utilised in the proposed PTFE manufacturing process,'' the scientists wrote in the letter. They pointed out that PFOA was prohibited across the world due to its inherent toxicity, environmental persistence, and bioaccumulative properties. ''At a time when the National Green Tribunal is speaking about the widespread contamination of Indian water bodies by PFAS, including PFOA, the proposed PTFE unit in Kurnool district presents a risk of exacerbating the ongoing environmental crisis if PFOA or any other PFAS is used in their production process as a surfactant,'' the scientists said. The manufacturing of PTFE would result in the emission of R23 (HFC-23), a potent greenhouse gas with an exceptionally high Global Warming Potential (GWP) of 14,800 times that of CO₂. The report did not mention how the unit would address the issue of potential R23 emissions, they said, requesting that a moratorium be imposed on granting of environmental clearance to the unit until comprehensive details were provided.
