MPCB grants consent to Dye and Textile Industry to include colour as parameter for discharge standard
   Date :18-Nov-2020

MPCB_1  H x W:
 
 
Staff Reporter :
 
Supreme Court directed NEERI, CPCB to prepare action plan to reduce pollution
 
 
Following the Supreme Court of India’s order to incorporate colour as a parameter for discharge standard, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has granted conditional consent to Dye and Dye Intermediate Industries, integrated Textile units, units of cotton, woollen, carpet, polyester, units having printing, dyeing, bleaching process or manufacturing garment units.
 
The Ministry of Environment and Forest has already issued notification specifying emission and effluent standards for Dye and Dye Intermediate Industries wherein colour is specified with maximum permissible limit of 400 Hazen unit for disposal of treated effluent from Textile Industry wherein colour is specified with maximum permissible limit of 150 Platinum Cobalt Units (PCU).
 
The Apex Court observed that the officials of the Board were granting consent wherein the ‘colour’ parameter was not incorporated in consents. Therefore, these consents were revised and amended for incorporation of colour as a parameter with discharge standard of 150 PCU for all integrated textile units, units of cotton, woollen, carpet, polyester, units having printing, dyeing and bleaching process or manufacturing garment units; and 400 Hazen units for Dye and Dye Intermediate Industries. All other parameters also amended. The Apex Court also asked all stake holders to monitor and control pollution and directed National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) and Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to prepare action plan and submit it to the Court.
 
All Board officials and Consent granting authorities are also informed that colour as a parameter shall be incorporated. Board officials and authorities are also requested to call the action plan from existing operating units within 10 days to amend the existing consent for incorporating colour as a parameter. Dye and textile industries produce a massive quantity of textile wastes that are damaging the environment. The use of chemicals and dyes during the manufacture of textiles generates an enormous quantity of waste as sludge, fibres and chemically polluted waters.
 
The chemically polluted textile wastewater degrades the quality of the soil and water when it mixes with these natural resources and its dependent habitats and environment. As a consequence of such high quantities of solid and liquid waste, textile industries are now facing major problems in environment pollution. To mitigate the problem, Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is focusing on the reduction of textile wastewater and the formulation of alternative efficient treatment techniques that do not damage the environment.