Effects of industries on Dahej

Industrial pollution has destroyed local fisheries in Dahej near Bharuch, Gujarat.

Dahej

• Location - Near the ancient port site of Barygaza (near today’s Bharuch) on the Gulf of Khambhat, Gujarat.
• Economic importance - It began to be developed as a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in 1990.
• It is one of the four Petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Regions (PCPIR) in the country.

Ecological significance - The freshwater of the Narmada enters the saline waters of the Gulf of Khambhat in Dahej.

• Many types of sea life including shrimp, bumla, salmon, boi, makul are found here.
• It is also the breeding ground of the Hilsa (‘palwa’ in Gujarat) fish.

Gujarat has the longest coastline in the country (1,600 km) and an Exclusive Economic Zone covering an area of 0.214 million square kilometres.

Effects of industries on Dahej

• Dahej is witnessing the increasing stench of chemicals in the air, turbid sea water and decreasing of fish population.
• The Gujarat Ecology Commission, in its environmental strategy for the year 2014-2019, found Bharuch district to be critically polluted in terms of industrial waste.