Leapfrogging Technological Change 51 Setting the Standards Industries clean up their operations The Durgmandwadi bauxite mine is located in the midst of the richly forested Western Ghats in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. This area has been identified as a ‘bio- diversity hot spot’ by World Wide Fund for Nature-India and falls in the category of ‘ecologically fragile areas’ under the Environment Protection Rules (1992). The Indian Aluminium Company Ltd. (INDAL), which commenced its operations in Durgmandwadi mine in 1992, supplied bauxite to an alumina plant located 130 km further south. The alumina plant was poised for major expansion and its future depended largely on bauxite sourcing. The management was in the process of developing new leases in the Durgmandwadi area. But the presence of a bauxite mine and increased operations in such a fragile area was a matter of concern for the local communities, NGOs and the government. The idea of expansion was met with resistance. The   laws and standards too were getting stricter by the day. In this situation, the INDAL authorities thought that a third party assessment by a competent authority would be one way to set apprehensions at rest. ISO 14001 provided the tool for addressing this concern. ISO 14001 calls for creating standards in all systems of the industry, with special reference to environment management, and aims for economic benefits and reduced environment protection costs by working towards resource conservation and pollution prevention, thus benefitting both the industry and the environment. When INDAL started developing the environment management plan for the mine under the Environment Management System of ISO 14001, many ‘self imposed standards’ were evolved for various mining and related activities. These standards were close to the national/international standards. Once achieved, they were strictly adhered to, to ensure performance better than legal limits. All operational controls were modified to achieve these standards. Air pollution by dust, noise and ground vibrations, which are significantly high in mining operations, were brought below the permissible limits. Drilling and blasting operations were eliminated and replaced with ripping and dozing, which are more benign operations. The mining operations were limited to restricted areas, and dust suppression systems were used in various earth moving and material handling equipments. The measures proved effective; it is reported that when some NGO representatives, government officials and journalists were standing at the mining site, they enquired where the mining operations were going on! Keeping up Standards 15

Towards Sustainability: Stories from India 52 Green Corporates In March, 2000, Business Today, a leading business magazine, and the Tata Energy Research Institute conducted a cross-country study to look at environmental practices in corporate India. It was the first study aimed at finding out how environmentally- conscious corporate India was. The study, which looked at about 50 companies, revealed that more than three-quarters had an environmental policy. Sixty per cent had an environment department, and four out of every ten had formal environment certification (ISO 14001). The study also found that about a fifth of the companies had an environmental policy operational at both the corporate office and the factory level, while in a majority of the others it was either at plant level or at the corporate office level. An environmental audit system was also in place in about 70 per cent of the companies. The chemicals and pharmaceuticals sectors scored high with respect to environmental consciousness in comparison to other sectors. The minerals and mining sector also fared well, with green policies prevalent at both corporate office and plant level. Overall, the findings reveal that corporates have found that greening makes business sense. They are now increasingly investing in greener technologies and almost half of the companies surveyed planned to include environmental improvements in their expansion plans. In addition to air and noise pollution, there were also fears regarding pollution of the nearby river, and siltation of the river bed. There was apprehension that in the rainy season the storm water would carry large quantities of bauxite dust into the river, making the water turbid. However, with the systematic maintenance of parapet walls, garland drains, settling tanks and silt-check dams, suspended solids in the storm water were kept well below the permissible level of 90 mg/liter. One of the major problems for all mining sites is the rehabilitation of the mined areas. Concerted tree plantation efforts were undertaken at the site. Due to the poor topsoil cover and unfavourable climate, the conventional method of planting did not succeed in the area. Subsequently, an innovative method called Tall Tree Plantation was adopted. This resulted in 95 per cent survival rate, well above the 50 per cent rate for conventional planting. One of the waste disposal problems in the Durgmandwadi Mine was that of spent lubricants. The mine was consuming around 6.5 kl of lubricants every year. With a process loss of 50 per cent, it was generating around 3.6 kl of spent lubricant.  This was beyond the specified limits for this hazardous waste. Moreover, the spent lubricant was sold to unauthorized oil re-processors. Now,  in keeping with the standards of ISO 14001, the entire process of lube oil accounting, handling, storage and disposal was restructured. The housekeeping and spill management programme in handling areas was so organized that in addition to safe and within-limit disposal, this activity resulted in lowering the lube oil demand. Domestic waste management on the campus is also part of the management’s concerns. Here earthworms are being put to use. An innovative ‘vermi-filtration’ technique, developed in-house, is being used to treat the domestic wastewater from the campus. Under this treatment technology, earthworms and bacteria are used in a bio-aerator for treating the wastewater. It has been found that the water quality of the treated effluent is well within the discharge limits. This effluent, full of plant nutrients, is used in the campus plant nursery. The biodegradable solid wastes generated in the canteen and other areas of the campus are converted into organic fertilizer in a bio-reactor, where earthworms, in the presence of aerobic bacteria, convert the biomass into a culture consisting of eggs and earthworm casts, bacteria and micro-nutrients favorable for plant growth. Besides working on developing systems to improve the environmental standards at the mine site, the industry has also been working on several programmes which benefit the nearby communities. In nine villages around the mine, safe drinking water is being supplied through bore wells and a distribution system installed by the industry. Mushroom and dairy Good Housekeeping

Leapfrogging Technological Change 53 farming are also being promoted in the area. A hospital which provides free medical and ambulance services to villagers in the region has also been established. With these initiatives, Durgmandwadi became the first bauxite mine in the world to obtain an ISO 14001 certificate. While corporate India is becoming increasingly environmentally responsible, the legal framework to prevent environmentally harmful industrial practices has also been particularly strengthened in the last two decades. While the Water Act (1974) and Air Act (1981) were already in place for pollution abatement, the Environment Protection Act-EPA (1986) was promulgated as an umbrella legislation for environment protection. Under this Act, the enforcement agency has the power to direct closure, prohibition or restraining of any industrial operation or process for preventing, controlling or abating environmental pollution. EPA lays down standards for quality of environment in its various aspects, as also emission standards with regard to various sources. It defines restricted areas where no industrial operation can be carried out, and gives powers of entry and inspection by the concerned authority for any industrial plant. Recognizing the need for self-regulation among industries, the concept of environmental audit was incorporated in the Environment Protection Rules in 1992. Under this rule, specified industries need to submit an environment audit report every year to the Pollution Control Boards. In 1994, the Central Government passed the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations which make it mandatory for all new or expansion projects to apply for environmental clearance to the appropriate authority. The application for clearance needs to be accompanied by an Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Environment Management Plan. Another necessary document is the report of the public hearing that is to be conducted before any new project comes up. This is a key feature aimed at informing all citizens about an upcoming industrial unit in their area. At the public hearing, the proprietor of the industry needs to furnish information with regard to the operations of the unit. Other rules like the Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1989, Environment (Siting for Industrial Projects) Rules, 1999 have also been enacted to further ensure pollution control and abatement. Recognizing that mining and other industrial activities have a considerable bearing on the surrounding ecology of the region, especially in fragile eco-systems, and that there is need for a systematic research base for planning these activities, the Government of India has also been encouraging studies to help carrying capacity-based regional planning. Carrying capacity-based planning processes take into account not merely the availability of natural resources but also the environmental status of the eco-system, so that the welfare of the human beings as well as of the life support systems are not impaired. These studies have been undertaken in representative eco-systems in different regions of the country. Strengthening the Law Bearer of all things, hoard of treasures rare, sustaining Mother Earth. What of thee I dig out, let that quickly grow over. Let me not hurt thy vitals, or thy heart. Atharva Veda ( c 1200 B.C.)