Industrial estate planning and management in India—an integrated approach towards industrial ecology

Industrial estates (IE) are today perceived as an integral part of development strategies of many countries worldwide. The environmental impacts from a concentration of large number of industries in a small area or unplanned IE, can pose a serious threat to both local and global sustainable development initiatives. The formation of ecologically balanced industrial systems can result in numerous environmental and economic benefits. This paper examines the relevance of industrial symbiosis and carrying capacity concepts and proposes an integrated approach towards IE planning in India based on grouping combinations of industries based on carrying capacity, formation of green industrial townships, development of environmental impact assessment guidelines for IE and implementation of environmental management systems.