Speaking at an `Open House' organised jointly by GPCB and the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Member Secretary of the Board JM Barot today said the SMC had been directed to ``discharge the treated water only in the mid-sea''.

Barot said Board chairman P V Swaminathan had called on the Surat Municipal Commissioner S Jagadeesan and asked him to take necessary measures. He said municipal commissioners of Ahmedabad and Jamnagar have also been directed to comply with pollution norms.

Barot was replying to a query. One person wanted to know what action the Board had taken against the SMC which was polluting the Tapi river by directly discharging untreated water.

The Open House was organised to address problems relating to pollution faced by industrialists of the city. The Board had asked the industrialists to send their queries in writing.

He said the Board took serious note of rivers being polluted by municipal corporations. Barot said Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee was chairing the Committee which was looking into all aspects of river pollution in the country.

Barot said the Committee had directed the civic bodies to take adequate measures to check pollution within three months and refrain from discharging sewage into rivers. For this purpose a Rs 50 crore project has been put up before the Committee by the GPCB.

Speaking on the occasion, GPCB chairman Swaminathan said the power to make changes in pollution norms rested with the centre. There was little GPCB could do about it. He, however, assured the industrialists that the objective of the Board was transparent administration, accountability and fastest service to industries. Proposals relating to industries would be cleared within three months, he added.

Earlier, in his welcome address, SGCCI president Rajendra Chokhawala informed that many Surat-based industries had measures to check pollution. Chokhawala said the Board should request the courts for speedy disposal of pollution related cases pending against number of units in the court for many years. Chokhawala said in keeping with the measures taken by the units, the board should relax certain pollution norms.