NT Reporter
Panaji
Goa’s industrial estates will soon be benchmarked against industrial parks, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) and industrial estates from other Indian states to improve efficiency and attract investors.
This evaluation is being undertaken by Goa Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) as part of a nationwide Industrial Park Rating System, rolled out by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).
Ahead of the evaluation, the state’s industrial estates are set for a major infrastructure boost. The GIDC will implement two statewide projects: A Rs 30 crore ultrasonic smart water metering and monitoring system, and a Rs 5 crore air quality monitoring project.
Chairman of GIDC Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco said that rating the industrial estates will benefit businesses by standardising and improving infrastructure quality. He said that the GIDC will first have the Verna industrial estate rated before opening other estates for evaluation.
Under the smart water metering project, the cost of the meters will be borne by the individual companies. The GIDC proposes to award this project to Laxmi Civil Engineering Services Pvt. Ltd., which emerged as technically qualified among four shortlisted bidders.
While the request for proposal was floated on March 3 with Laxmi Civil Engineering Services initially bidding Rs 40 crore, subsequent negotiations brought the project cost down by Rs 10 crore.
The upcoming rating framework assesses four pillars: internal infrastructure and utilities, external infrastructure and connectivity, business support services and environmental safety, and sustainability.
To secure a favourable rating for utilities, GIDC must ensure the water supply meets industrial demand.
Additionally, GIDC will soon invite competitive bids for the continuous ambient air quality monitoring project. Present environmental assessments rely on periodic inspections and isolated studies, which limit the ability to spot localised pollution, analyse trends and manage the environment effectively. The new project aims to establish a centralised system to continuously monitor ambient air quality across the estates.
