Under pressure from greens, Bhagwant Mann says no to textile park along Sutlej

The Bhagwant Mann government, under pressure for proposing to set up a mega textile park near the Mattewara forest in Ludhiana, on Monday (July 11) took a U turn and said no industrial unit will be established at the proposed site because “his government cares for the valuable water resources and forest”.

Speaking at an administrative meeting, Mann said his government will not permit any industry to set up its unit along the banks of rivers and pollute them.

Mann tried to distance himself from the green signal given to the project earlier. He said the earlier CM Captain Amarinder Singh had not given a thought before granting permission for the Mattewara project, which was in accordance with the Centre’s decision to set up a textile park over 1000 acres of land.

The proposed site is located near a forest and along the floodplains of river Satluj therefore detrimental to the environmental health of Punjab, said Mann, adding that the project will result in deforestation and river pollution.

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Setting aside the criticism of his government, Mann said AAP is committed to preserving the green lungs of the state. Instead of Mattewara forest, the CM said his government will provide land for the textile park at a different location.

The Mega Integrated Textile Region and Apparel Park, proposed under the PM-MITRA scheme, had drawn the flak of environmentalists and Opposition parties for disturbing the biodiversity of Punjab.