File Photo: Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar. (Reuters Photo)
Sending out a strong message, the Environment Ministry has ordered the closure of 150 industrial units, including sugar mills and tanneries, along the Ganga river after these failed to install 24X7 effluent monitoring systems.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) had formulated an action plan for abatement of industrial pollution in the Ganga river to reduce effluent generation and organic load, and claimed that there has been a "significant" reduction in industrial pollution in the river.
"There has been substantial progress in installation of 24X7 Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS).
Out of 764 Gross Polluting Industries (GPI), 514 units have already installed OCEMS while 94 are in the process.
"Closure orders have been issued to 150 remaining units and responses of other six units are under examination," Mr Javadekar told reporters in New Delhi.
He said even after persuading these industries for a year, they did not respond resulting in closure orders.
"This is the biggest action taken till date on the issue of abatement of pollution in Ganga or any river in the country. When they give action plan, order the machines, then we can think about giving them permission. Till then they will be closed," Mr Javadekar said.
Among the units closed include nine paper and pulp units, 28 textile units, six slaughter houses, nine sugar units, four distilleries, 68 tanneries, 10 chemical units and 14 other units.
Mr Javadekar also said that CPCB had constituted vigilance teams and carried out inspections during December-end last year and early January, 2016 of 130 industries which included 48 pulp and paper, 54 sugar and 28 distilleries units to assess progress in implementation of action plans.
He said that the inspections were specifically mandated to confirm the facts relating to conservation of water, reduction in waste water generation and pollution load.
"The total waste water generation and its organic load in terms of Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) from 764 GPI as per last 2012 assessment was 501 MLD (million litres per day) and 131 tonnes per day.
"It is conservatively estimated that discharge from industries has been brought down by 125 MLD. It is further estimated that the BOD load reduction resulting from units which have achieved ZLD norms in distillery and pulp and paper sectors, apart from those which are permanently closed would be in the order of 30 tonnes per day," he said.
Elaborating on the inspection conducted by CPCB of 130 units, the Minister said that as far as 28 distilleries were concerned, all have achieved no industrial discharge by adopting system of bio-composting and incineration.
The inspection also found BOD reductions from 22 tonnes per day (TPD) to 2 TPD while no distillery was observed to be disposing spent wash. Mr Javadekar said that multiple effect evaporators have been installed in 11 units while the rest 17 industries are in process of installation.
Regarding the 48 pulp and paper units, eight agro based industries have stopped discharge of black liquor while 42 industries were found operating ETP systems. It was also observed that there has been a reduction in fresh water consumption and effluent generation has been observed in the industries while five industries have achieved Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD).
The report said that effluent disposal has been brought down from 119 MLD (out of 201 MLD) to 61 MLD while BOD load reduced from 76 TPD to 25 TPD. In case of 54 sugar industries, it was also observed that all units have implemented action plan and brought down waste water discharge from 400 litres/ton of cane crushed to 200 litres/ton while 19 units have achieved reduction in water withdrawal and waste water generation.
Mr Javadekar said that 48 units are utilising treated effluents for irrigation and out of 54, only three units were found to be partially operating ETP.
In terms of online installations of effluent monitoring systems, it was observed that out of 130 industries, 94 have installed online effluent monitoring devices, 31 have placed the work orders or are in the process of installation.
The remaining 05 industries, which have not acknowledged the directions of CPCB are ordered for closure.