The foundry sector in Coimbatore has urged the centre to evolve a uniform pollution norm, with regard to issuing licences.

The pollution norms differ from one state to the other, which created problems in the functioning of the industries and the process of obtaining and renewing licences, Swaminathan, the chairman of the organising committee of the 64th Indian Foundry Congress, to be held in Coimbatore from January 29, said.

Coimbatore’s foundry sector, with 600 units, was placed in red category due to its pollution levels. But, with pollution being a state subject, there were different norms for the levels, and the centre should come out with a uniform norm, he said. he also added that the licence renewal time should be increased from one year to two or five years.

Nithyanandan Devaraj, Chairman of the Southern Region’s Institute of Indian Foundrymen, said that the industry also faces the problem of acute manpower shortage. He said that the sector was managing with the migrant workers from Odisha and Bihar.

The foundry production in India is ranked third highest in the world, at 10 million tonnes last year.