Gujarat Forest and Environment Minister Arjun Modhwadia on Sunday, 7 June declared that balancing sustainability with development and reducing dependence on natural resources remained a core state priority, as he addressed the closing session of a two-day environmental workshop in Gandhinagar. The event was jointly organised by the Forest and Environment Department and the Gujarat Pollution Control Board (GPCB).

Key Statements from the Minister

Chairing the closing session alongside Minister of State for Forest and Environment Pravin Mali, Modhwadia placed the GPCB at the centre of Gujarat's pollution-reduction ambitions. 'GPCB's role is going to be the most decisive in making Gujarat pollution-free. Ensuring sustainability alongside development and minimising the use of resources is our priority,' he said.

He noted that the Board and the Department had consistently led corrective action, with coordinated efforts ensuring industries could continue to operate while keeping pollution levels as low as possible. Modhwadia also highlighted the GPCB's future role in expanding compliance incentives, adding that the workshop's deliberations would prove instrumental in shaping the state's long-term environmental vision.

Calling for a shift in approach, the Minister urged Department and GPCB officials to function as 'friends and guides' to industries — maintaining continuous stakeholder dialogue rather than defaulting to punitive enforcement.

What the Workshop Produced

The two-day Chintan Shibir covered environmental challenges, regulatory reforms, institutional capacity building, and future-oriented planning. Modhwadia said the Vision Plan emerging from the workshop would enable departments such as Urban Development, Industries, Transport, and Water Resources to draft their own action plans.

Additional Chief Secretary Vinod Rao said the concluding report from the intensive deliberations would help chart the future direction of both environmental protection and development in Gujarat. He stressed that compliance should be voluntary rather than court-driven. 'It is more important that we comply with environmental regulations voluntarily than because of court orders,' Rao said.

The Vatva Model and Industrial Planning

Rao pointed to the 'Vatva model' as a proven example of pollution reduction in Ahmedabad and beyond, and advocated embedding environmental infrastructure into future industrial planning. He recommended that new industrial development plans mandate approvals only in areas where Common Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP) facilities are already in place, making pollution monitoring more tractable.

Rao also cited backing at the highest levels of government, noting that both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel are proponents of sustainable development. He called for policies that minimise punitive action and instead recognise compliant industries through non-financial incentives such as certificates and public honours.

GPCB Chairman's Assessment

GPCB Chairman R.B. Barad presented the workshop's findings and described the exercise as far more than a routine administrative programme. 'This was not merely a programme but a journey of ideas for the future of Gujarat,' he said, adding that environmental conditions in the state had improved markedly compared with earlier years.

Barad argued that Gujarat had demonstrated economic growth and environmental sustainability are not mutually exclusive — a claim officials said the workshop's recommendations would now translate into concrete cross-departmental action plans. The aim, officials said, is to position Gujarat as both an industrially advanced and environmentally responsible state.