PPCB initiative to reduce the Fresh Water Intake
Patiala – The PPCB has come out with the techniques to reduce the fresh ground water intake by the industries to the tune of 25% and has also directed some industries to use treated sewage waters in their processes.
K.S. Pannu, Chairman of the Board said that to begin with, board selected the 300 dying industries of Ludhiana which are using around 130 MLD of fresh ground water in their process. The team of Board’s engineers did the water audit of each dyeing unit to identify the points where the water intake can be reduced, minimized or where it can be stopped and the efforts yielded the fruits. About 50 dyeing industries have reduced their water intake by 30-35%. The other industries will follow the suit in the coming fortnight.
He further said that there are 5 agro based paper mills in the state which are using 60-70 KLD of fresh water per ton of paper produced & discharging about 50-60 KLD waste water per ton of paper. Board’s engineers in consultation with Central Pulp and Paper Research Institute, Saharanpur has come out with improvised process techniques to reduce the fresh water intake to just 50 KLD and discharge of waste water to 40 KLD per ton of paper respectively. The Board has also directed these industries to come out with a blue print so as to use the treated sewage water in the pulping & other processes. Nahar Group of Industries, Lalru has initiated the process to use the treated sewage water of STP Lalru in their processing & Nachiketa Paper Mill will use the treated waste water of CETP industrial area Dera Bassi. More & more industries are coming forward boldly to use the treated STP water.
Pannu further said that due to ground water depletion, 105 blocks of the State falls in Dark Zone, 4 blocks in critical & 3 blocks in semi critical zone. This is the reason that on the recommendation of the Board, the Govt. has notified the 20th June as the date to start sowing of Paddy. He said that with these techniques the withdrawal of ground water shall be reduced drastically.
