Tirupur, Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur districts are some of the major textile processing clusters down South (India) that have been the focus of the Indian textile industry and Government, to establish common facilities for treating effluents and managing waste. The effluents released from these units are said to be major groundwater pollutant in the area.
In 2014, the State Government of Tamil Nadu had announced a scheme worth Rs. 700 crore to address the pollution problem in four districts (Erode, Salem, Namakkal and Karur) in the region and rehabilitate the small- and medium-scale processing units. The Tamil Nadu Water Investment Company was also involved to prepare the feasibility study.
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The scheme was announced keeping in view the pollution of river Cauvery, Bhavani and Amaravathi and also the ground water by the small and medium processing units. While the big units had achieved zero effluent discharge, the small and medium units could not set up treatment plants. The TN State Government had also lent interest-free loan to set up 18 Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) in 2014.
Besides, the Southern India Mills’ Association has come up with a proposal to set up two processing parks, one at Cuddalore and the other at Ramanathapuram. The proposal has been readily accepted by the owners of textile processing units. Furthermore, four units have already agreed to invest in the Cuddalore Park, immediately.
While the Cuddalore Park is for the large-scale textile processing units, the processing park at Ramanathapuram is for the small- and medium-scale textile processors. SIMA is continuing discussions with the TN State Government for the park proposed at Ramanathapuram, say sources.
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However, there is a plan to go in for a marine discharge of the treated effluents in these projects. The association has appealed to the Union Government to permit marine discharge system, apart from zero liquid discharge systems, they say.
