Ahmedabad: The Gujarat-based chemical industry is demanding a level playing field for hazardous waste products because many other states treat hazardous waste as a by-product, which harms the Gujarat industry. Speaking at a seminar on Monday, industry experts said that the industry has huge opportunities in the export market, but there should be uniformity in the implementation of the law.
Addressing the National Chemical Conclave-2024 organised by the Gujarat Chemical Association (GCA), Jaimin Vasa, president of GCA, said, “Emerging markets offer vast growth opportunities in the chemical and pharma sectors. In this scenario, partnerships between startups, established firms, academia, and research institutions are fostering a collaborative culture.”
According to the association, India is the 6th largest producer of chemicals in the world and 3rd in Asia, contributing 7% to India’s GDP. The Indian chemical industry is currently valued at $220 billion and is expected to reach $300 billion by 2030 and $1 trillion by 2040.
Dipak Davda, CEO of Vatva Green Environment Co-Op Services Soc Ltd, said, “Gujarat is the chemical hub of the country, but the state-based chemical units are witnessing the issue of Rule 9 of the Hazardous and Other Waste Rules 2016 issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). GPCB and Gujarat-based chemical units follow the rules strictly, while other states term many hazardous wastes as ‘by-product’. Due to this, there is no level playing field. There should be uniform implementation of the law. As of now, 110 SOP have been finalised under Rule 9 for handling hazardous waste, and more than 60% are from Gujarat. Still, around 17 SOPs from Gujarat are pending for approval at CPCB.”
Anil Jain, former secretary of the Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI), said, “Rule 9 is impacting MSME chemical units of the state, and if there is uniformity, the industry will grow faster.”
