The Bengal Chamber of Commerce & Industry in collaboration with West Bengal Pollution Control Board organized 4th Edition of Discussion Forum on Ecological Sustainability in the Industrial Region – Haldia on 13th February 2021. The objective of the Discussion Forum was to bring together the stakeholders of Haldia Industrial Belt, Policy Makers and Industry Leaders to brainstorm and share the best practices and cutting edge technologies to take forward the industrial development of the State with adequate fortification towards vulnerability of ecology.Stakeholders like Indian Oil Corporation Ltd. - Haldia Refinery, Exide Industries Ltd, Indorama India Pvt Ltd., Haldia Energy Ltd., Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd., Haldia Water Services Pvt Ltd. were present to express their views of sustainable development of the city. Sunanda Environmental International Pvt.Ltd.(a UK company) also joined the Stakeholders Consultation. Experts from well-known Think Tank, CUTS, Jaipur and Texas A&M, USA and Professors from Jadavpur University and IIT Kharagpur were also present in the Discussion forum. 

The Bengal Chamber urges the stakeholders to embrace sustainability beyond compliance. 

The Discussion Forum focused on regeneration from COVID-19 pandemic to revive economy balancing environmental priorities 

• Precautionary measures to restrict spread of virus to ensure production efficiency
• Responsible use of plastics and other hazardous waste which may have increased due to the pandemic outbreak (Responsible Waste Management at Haldia)
• Sustainable Approach to Industrial Water Management & Maintaining WASH.
• Indoor and Outdoor air quality for better productivity 

Mr. Gautam Ray, Chairperson, Energy and Environment Committee and Vice President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry & Executive Director (HR & Admin.) - CESC Limited & President (HR) – Power Group, RPSG said “It was a duel between life and livelihood during the pandemic. The way Haldia has balanced it is praiseworthy. Sustainability has to be ensured not only for the Region, State and the Country but for the planet as a whole.” 

Mr. Subir Chakraborty, Senior Vice President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Deputy Managing Director, Exide Industries Limited mentioned, “At The Bengal Chamber, we believe it is our mandate to connect with the industrial regions of the State and address synchronization of industrial and sustainable developments. At the regional level, sustainable development often manifests itself in an emphasis on developing green industries. However, regions vary in their preconditions for achieving this. Therefore, The Bengal Chamber brought together the Stakeholders of Haldia to aim green growth” 

Shri Partha Ghosh, Executive Director& Refinery Head, Indian Oil Corporation Limitedmentioned Indian Oil Corporation Limited is committed towards reviving economy while balancing environmental priorities, especially during these unprecedented times of Covid-19. They only changed the way they did their jobs. SMS i.e Sanitation, Mask and Social Distancing was their mool mantra. As a large part of the globe and our country remained indoors, a key challenge in terms of revitalizing the economy, was to ensure that the kitchen fire remain lit, and people are fed and gainfully engaged. Being India’s trusted energy partner, Indian Oil has been moving resolutely to service its mandate. IOCians rose to the challenge, like on innumerable other occasions, and ensured that our countrymen remain safe and energized during the trying times. Ever since the national lockdown was announced on March 24, 2020, IOCians across working locations such as refineries, pipelines and SBM stations, LPG bottling plants and bulk storage installations, as well as our larger family comprising dealers and distributors, LPG delivery boys, tank truck crews, mechanics, the Health Care fraternity, etc. became Corona Warriors and they went about their task in the face of adversity going the Extra Mile in the Line of Duty. We have extended our support by providing various medical equipment for Covid management to District Hospital, Purba Medinipur. Haldia Refinery facilitated 20 numbers of isolation-beds with oxy-cylinder stands to Haldia Development Authority, essential food rations, more than twenty thousand masks, 10000 Tarpaulin sheets etc. In line with Government of India’s vision of a sustainable energy future for the nation, Indian Oil is spearheading various Green initiatives like development of infrastructure for utilizing Natural Gas in all Refineries, production of BS-VI products, ethanol blending in MS, investments in renewable energy sources, sale of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) through ‘SATAT’ (Sustainable Alternative towards Affordable Transportation) etc. 

The SATAT scheme is launched for propagation of Compressed Bio Gas (CBG) as GREEN transport fuel to mitigate climate challenges & to reduce import burden. As per the scheme, around 5000 CBG plants shall be annually producing 15 MMT of CBG & 50 MMT of organic manure in the country by 2023. Indian Oil also has a strategic intent to scale up its presence in e-mobility by equipping its customer touch-points with turbo-charging and battery-swapping facilities for EVs and plug-in hybrids. Haldia Refinery has taken many important steps for reduction of Air pollution. Haldia Refinery is presently producing BS-VI grades Gasoline & Diesel products having Sulphur content less than 10 ppm. We are using low Sulphur (less than 0.5%) IFO and de-sulfurised Fuel Gas in process heaters as well as boilers and to maintain pollution level as per CPCB notification on National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS), 2009. Further, RLNG line, which is being set up by M/s GAIL from Dhamra to Haldia will replace the refinery IFO by year 2023, which being cleaner fuel, will greatly reduce Sulphur and NOx emission. 

Officer of West Bengal Pollution Control Board, Haldia Region, mentioned Industries have resumed reviving themselves after long stoppage of production in this COVID 19 period. To meet industry specific emission standards as per CPCB, industries are trying their best to run Air Pollution Control Device (APCD) properly. To meet industry specific wastewater discharge standard as per CPCB, industries treat wastewater before final discharge. WBPCB as State Environmental Regulatory Agency is in the process of implementing environmental regulations. In the last two years of 2020 and 2021, wastewater qualities at different points of GBC at Haldia as well as different rivers are of similar type. Ambient air quality observed at different monitoring stations during the two years of 2020 and 2021 are of similar type. 

Mr. Arun Kumar Mukherjee, Mentor, Energy and Environment Committee, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry and Director (Technical),Prerana Engineers & Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and Mr. Aloke Mookherjea, Past President, The Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry chaired the respective session on 'Sustainable Approach to Industrial Water Management & Maintaining WASH' and ‘Precautionary measures to restrict spread of virus to ensure production efficiency’. 

The other key speakers were Mr. Bipul Chatterjee, Executive Director, Consumer Unity and Trust Society(CUTS), Dr. Sanjoy Chakroborty, Head Environment, Haldia Energy Ltd. (A Subsidiary of CESC Ltd), Mr. Prasun Chayan Misra, EHS Head , Exide Industries Ltd, Haldia Plant, Mr. Sanjay G Choudhary, Head Haldia Plant, Indorama India Private Limited, Mr. Sasti Mondal, Senior General Manager (HSEF), Haldia Petrochemicals Limited, Mr. Tathagata Chakraborty, Technical Manager, Sunanda Environmental International Pvt Ltd and  Dr. Debalina Sengupta, Associate Director TEES Gas and Fuels Research Center, WEF Nexus Coordinator ,Texas A&M Energy Institute.

There were Observers  from IIT Kharagpur : Dr. M. Padmavati, Professor, Rajiv Gandhi School of IP Law, IIT Kharagpur and Prof. Rintu Banerjee, Head and Professor, Agricultural and Food Engineering Department, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur and Jadavpur University: Prof. Papita Das, Department of Chemical Engineering, Jadavpur University and Joint Director; School of Advanced Studies in Industrial Pollution Control, Engineering, Jadavpur University