Awareness on water management in industries gaining momentum

For the industries in Coimbatore awareness on water management is just catching on.

Textile processing and spinning, electroplating, and engineering industries are those that have substantial use of water. While those mandated to have treatment plants and the large-scale units have water management systems, water management is just gaining momentum in the smaller units.

According to an official of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board here, as many as 13 textile processing units are functioning with effluent treatment plants in Coimbatore District. Two years ago the district had 48 units. However, many of these were closed down for not complying with the pollution control norms. As many as nine unauthorised units were identified and closed in the last eight months.

In the case of electroplating units, nearly 70 have effluent treatment plants.

For the engineering industry, units with 200 or more workers should have sewage treatment facilities and this is monitored by the board. The dairy units use waste water for irrigation.

Small-scale industries that have 100 to 150 workers each use water for drinking, cleaning and washing. Most of them use underground water and waste water is let into the garden.

Industries

The industries will start recycling of waste water if equipment is available at affordable prices, meeting the requirements of the small-scale units. One of the industries here is already developing such equipment, says M. Kandhaswami, president of Coimbatore District Small Industries' Association.

Textile mills use water in the humidification plants. The units have options such as buying water, using reverse osmosis plants, or ground water. Water management was just catching on in the mills, says a small-scale mill owner here.