Tirupur exporters say zero-discharge impossible

Knitwear exporters in Tirupur state that they have been used as ‘guinea pigs’, when the notion of zero liquid discharge was mooted.

‘Zero discharge is a Utopian idea, possible only at laboratory level. We have wasted our resources and energy in attempting zero discharge of liquid effluent and realised that it is not a practical solution. We are now trying to explain this to the Government,’ said the General Secretary of Tirupur Exporters’ Association Mr G Karthikeyan.

He was responding to queries on the impact of closure of the bleaching and dyeing units in Tirupur.

He maintained that the closure of the dyeing and bleaching units did not have an adverse impact on the knitwear trade as yet, but voiced concern about the future. ‘Exports are on the verge of falling, but not fallen yet,’ he said.

It may be recalled that the Madras High Court had ordered closure of the bleaching and dyeing units in Tirupur a fortnight ago, for polluting the river sources. The order was consequent to a contempt petition filed by Noyyal River Ayacutdars (farmers) Protection Association for not following the December 2006 directive of the Court on effluent treatment.

Mr Karthikeyan said ‘zero discharge would be impossible at this juncture and pleaded that the industry be allowed to discharge odourless, colourless effluents, by bringing the solvents to 2100 TDS or less before discharging the same to the river.’

Asked how they would manage this, he said ‘for discharge of 5 litres of industrial effluent, we would have to dilute it with 15 litres of water, three times or more. We will buy water from New Tirupur Area Development Corporation Ltd (NTADCL).’

According to him the industry, at present was buying 40 million litres of water per day from NTADCL. ‘This arrangement would strengthen NTADCL’s operations as our requirement would rise to 100 mln lts/day. It would be a win-win situation for both – the NTADCL and the industry,’ he added.

To a query on the oft-spoken about marine discharge of industrial effluents, he said ‘that will take another 2 to 3 years. The industry in the meantime has to function. This temporary arrangement of allowing us to discharge the diluted effluent with the BOD and COD level, well within norms, would help the knitwear cluster gain strength’.

Industry sources meanwhile voiced concern about the depleting raw material following closure of the dyeing and bleaching units here. Sources said that some units were sending the yarn to upcountry locations to be bleached/ dyed. ‘The costs are rising, becoming exorbitant, and honouring importers commitment is becoming a near impossibility,’ the source said.

Asked if the Tirupur knitwear units were contemplating to shift North, the Apparel Export Promotion Council Chairman Mr Premal Udani said ‘it has not happened so far. But if the problem persists, they would start looking elsewhere.’

He said already four state Governments had approached the Council for setting up the industry in their respective states. ‘Many units have even initiated a study to find if it is worth shifting,’ he said, adding ‘the industry shifted its base from Kolkata to Tirupur. Where now, remains to be seen.’

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