Towards Sustainability: Stories from India
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14
Industries Go Green
Initiatives to reduce pollution
Small and medium enterprises (SMEs) are the backbone of the Indian economy. With three
million SMEs, this sector contributes 40 per cent towards the national income. SMEs provide
employment to more than 16 million people in the country, and are growing at the rate of 20 per
cent annually.
SMEs are also a major area of concern as they
account for about 70 per cent of industrial pollution.
Due to obsolete technologies and poor operation and
maintenance, these SMEs have a high specific-waste
generation factor.
End-of-pipe treatment methods which SMEs were
being urged to adopt in response to growing
environmental concerns and legislative pressures did
not prove to be very popular, as they failed to provide
economic incentives to the units. By and large,
industries were reluctant to adopt these practices.
A Government of India initiative towards waste
minimization, however, is gaining acceptance. The
formation of waste minimization circles was initiated
in 1995-96 through the National Productivity
Council (NPC) acting as the nodal agency and with
support from the World Bank, and is part of a project
that aims to promote group efforts for demonstrating cleaner production techniques, and to
provide opportunities for sharing information and knowledge on pollution prevention. The
second phase of the project was initiated in 1997-98 with the aim of creating awareness and
interest. and to build confidence of Indian small and medium scale industries in adopting
cleaner production practices.
Different types of industrial units have been benefitted through this project. In an
electroplating unit in Orissa, 33 waste minimization options were identified, out of which 27
were implemented. This resulted in reduction of most of the raw material being consumed,
including acid, kerosene, nickel salt, chrome salt, etc. Overall, water consumption also came
down by 172 cu. m. per annum. With an investment of around Rs.90,000 (US $1800), within
an year the industry was able to save about Rs.1,70,000 (US$3400).
In a pesticide manufacturing unit in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, ten waste minimization options were
implemented. The water consumption was reduced by 8-10 cubic meters per day through
various conservation measures including installing an electronic control to stop water
overflow from the overhead storage tank. Earlier, the raw material to the factory was supplied
in 200 kg drums, which needed to be broken up, leading to a solid waste problem. These were
replaced by 20 kg drums which were easier to handle and could also be sent back to suppliers
for reuse. With an investment of Rs.5,20,000 (US$10,400), the units savings per annum
amounted to Rs.9,53,000 (US$19,060).
Government Facilitates Action