Maharashtra textile strike looms over MPCB rules

Tensions are high in Maharashtra’s Ichalkaranji textile hub in as sizing unit owners threaten to strike over pollution regulations. The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has reportedly issued shutdown notices to these businesses for lacking wastewater treatment systems.

Sizing unit owners claim they're being unfairly targeted while bigger polluters go unchecked. They point to the discharge of millions of litres of untreated sewage into local waterways. Additionally, they argue that the MPCB previously advised them to install bio-digesters on their own land, an expensive and impractical solution for many.

The potential strike by 150 sizing units employing nearly 4,500 workers could cripple the town's weaving, handloom, and powerloom industries. The MPCB has yet to respond to the allegations, but they've historically defended their enforcement efforts as necessary for environmental protection.

This conflict highlights the struggle for developing regions to balance economic growth with environmental responsibility. Finding a compromise solution is crucial for all parties involved, as the sizing industry is a vital link in the textile production chain.