Foreword

Prevention js better than cure. This is particularly true in case of industrial pollution. Lack of planned development can put the environment to high risks due to poor land use compatibility over exploitation of resources etc. Much of the problems of pollution and costs thereof can be avoided by preventing indiscriminate siting of industrial units. An important pre-requisite for judicious siting of industries Is to consider the environmental profiles of the proposed sites. The Central Pollution Control Board has taken a lead in identifying environmentally compatible industrial zones. I

In order to delineate areas that are suitable for industrial siting and for classification of different areas based on their existing environmental features, a project for preparation of District-wise Zoning Atlas has been taken up by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) in collaboration with the State Pollution Control Boards, other State Agencies and the German Agency for Technical Cooperation (GTZ). In the first phase that took off during 1995, 19 Districts in 14 States were covered. Based on the experience gained in the first phase and encouraged by the positive response from all concerned, it is proposed to cover all the priority Districts in the country at the earliest.

This publication belongs to the series of District-wise Zoning Atlas for the Districts in respect of which collation and analysis of relevant data have been completed. Using the Geographic Information System (GIS) computer software for this purpose, the analysed data are presented in the form of easy-to-read maps.

We are thankful to various agencies viz. the National Remote Sensing Agency, Hyderabad, the Survey of India, the Administration of the Districts covered by the , 'Zoning Atlas' programme and various Departments of both Central and State Governments for extending their co-operation and providing us with the needed data and inputs for successful and timely completion of the task.