KASSIA raises pollution related issues of MSMEs with KSPCB

Bengaluru, 7 June (KNN) The Karnataka Small Scale Industries Association (KASSIA) has raised pollution related issues of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) with Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) in a meeting here.

In a meeting held with top officials of the KSPCB, KASSIA discussed the practical and other problems related to compliance and regulatory requirement of pollution control related issues.

Apprising the officials about the matter, President of KASSIA, Basavaraj S Javali said “Micro and small industries are being mostly run by a few people and they find it a burden on their ample resources to cope with the compliance and regulatory requirements. It was difficult to comprehend and complex, hence they need hand-holding from the KSPCB.

General Secretary of KASSIA Ravikiran Kulkarni, submitted a memorandum on behalf of the various issues faced by the micro and small scale industries to the KSPCB.

Giving patient hearing to the matter, IFS (Rtd), Chairman of KSPCB Jayaram assured on considering the issues and to ease matters of regulatory compliance. He agreed to set up a helpdesk to meet in KASSIA once in two months. However, the KSPCB can attend to these issues every month at their own office for the benefit of SMEs.

He also indicated that they would consider the suggestion made by KASSIA regarding plastic.

He also positively supported the idea of a consulting mechanism involving KASSIA and the pollution board to tackle many of these grievances in order to help SMEs. The Board was ready to cooperate with KASSIA and the SMEs to resolve genuine difficulties.

However, he cautioned that the willful polluters would be dealt with as per the law.

In addition, he urged industry to work with the pollution control board in complying with the regulations instead of having to pay penalties for non-compliance.