CHENNAI: Discharge of treated effluents from dyeing and bleaching units in the State's textile belt into the sea will be the only permanent solution to the problem of ecological damage, which can also enable the industry to continue to play its premier role in production, exports and employment, according to A. Sakthivel, president (Southern Region), Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO-SR).

Mr. Sakthivel, who is also the president of the Tirupur Exporters' Association (TEA), said the industry would be able to proceed with a project for "marine discharge" of treated effluents if the State Government gave its consent "in principle".

Talking to The Hindu on Thursday, he said such a project would involve laying of a 250-km gravity pipeline from the textile producing regions of Tirupur, Perundurai, Erode, Navakkarai and Karur to Nagapattinam for letting out treated effluents containing only salt, after the primary treatment plants set up by the industry removed dyes and chemicals.

"Throughout the world, treated effluent is only discharged into the sea or rivers," he said.

Project "bankable"

Maintaining that a marine discharge project, implemented on the private-public partnership basis on the lines of the New Tirupur Area Development Corporation Ltd (NTADCL) would be "bankable," he urged the State and Central Governments to participate in the project.

It would reduce the operational cost of the textile processing industry by over 40 per cent. "We can go ahead with commissioning of a feasibility study only if the State Government agrees to the concept in principle." The NTADCL, a joint venture of the State government and the private sector Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS), implemented a pioneering water supply and sewerage project in Tirupur.

Pollution control

Mr. Sakthivel said the textile processing industry in Tamil Nadu had already spent Rs. 650 crore out of Rs. 900 crore needed to combat pollution by setting up individual and common effluent treatment plants.

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