Farmers from the coastal villages in Olpaad taluka in Surat have sought immediate involvement of the industries department to stop the process of allotting land at Pinjrat for the development of mega Textile Park by the Southern Gujarat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SGCCI).

The Khedut Samaj Gujarat (KSG) has written to Gujarat industries commissioner Mamta Verma, as farmers of the remote Pedaganjam village in Prakasam district protested against the proposed mega textile park to create world class infrastructure to facilitate setting up of apparel manufacturing units.

Farmer say they are not against the development of industries in the region but are concerned that setting up of the park will harm environment and affect hundreds of fishermen. For the mega textile park, SGCCI has formed a special purpose vehicle (SPV) Textile Processing Park Association (TPPA). The park will be set up on 70 lakh sq. m. of land owned by the state government with initial investment of Rs 1,500 crores. The park would accommodate around 100 textile processing units, 40 water jet weaving units, around 225 garmenting units and other textile ancillary units. As per the proposed, around 50 per cent of the fabric manufactured in the processing units will be converted into home textiles and garments.

The company has carried out the environmental impact survey of the land. Since 277 hectare land for the park development will be received thus, the it does not fall under the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) Act says SGCCI, B S Agarwal. Agarwal also added that the development of mega park will change the face of coastal villages and many unemployed youths will get employment in the textile mills.