In a major step towards managing industrial pollution, the government today approved a project, which aims at remediation and rehabilitation of polluted sites.

The project on 'Capacity Building for Industrial Pollution Management' to be assisted by World Bank was approved by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.

The project with an estimated cost of USD 75.39 million (nearly Rs 343 crore) will be implemented on a pilot basis at four identified sites in Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal for a period of five years, Home Minister P Chidambaram told reporters.

The objective of the project is to develop a national programme for the remediation and rehabilitation of polluted sites. It will support the development of an institutional and methodological framework for rehabilitation of highly polluted abandoned sites and build human and technical capacity in state agencies for taking projects for reducing the risk of contamination for nearby population, he said.

The project is expected to yield environmental benefits like improvement in water and air quality, improved hygienic conditions, health benefits such as reduction in water borne and vector borne diseases and economic benefits like employment generation.

It will also support measures for public awareness and community education and facilitate developing a National Plan for Rehabilitation of Pollution Sites, sustaining the process beyond the project period.