Transchem's biofilter offers eco-friendly solution for wastewater treatment

Water is presently the most discussed subject in the world and, in India, everybody one has to encounter serious issues relating to quality of water. The country has already been classified as water scarced country and if enough attention is not paid to this, the condition is only going to deteriorate further - leaving the country in very poor state for future generations.
 
It is good that India is on the path of economical revival and is recognised as one of the countries economically strong. Changing life style, urbanisation and consumerism are taking place at rapid pace which is leading to increase in solid and liquid waste generation.
 
While the country is marching agressively on developmental path, one cannot ignore the fact that there is a need to take care of the enviornament. The water quality of the ground water, rivers, ponds, lakes etc is going down drastically.
 
Some of the factors contributing to the deterioration in the quality of water are:

• Rise in population since independence coupled with economic growth and change in life style
• Climate change, resulting in the usage of more water
• More than 75 % from water resources is wasted with no public awareness of water harvesting
• River water allowed to go into sea, as canals or reservoirs are inadequate
• Lack of planning and implementation
• Over exploitation the ground water resources resulting in aggravated depletion of water table

Decentralised solution for sewage treatment
Domestic sewage and industrial waste discharge are the biggest reasons for water pollution in India, making it unsuitable for drinking, agriculture, and industries. For India, in addition to creating large sewage treatment plants (STP) at city level, it has to explore possibilities to treat wastewater at decentralised level using simple eco-friendly technology, which can also be energy-efficient and have low operational and maintainence cost.
 
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Decentralised water treatment plants offer many benefits. These plants require low capital investment for laying of transfer system resulting in sizeable saving on cost of pipes and energy. They can treat wastewater near point of generation and offer easy recycling options for the treated water. Decentralised water treatment plants are effective for small towns and large villages where there are no sewage treatment plants.
 
Against this background, the Vadodara-based Transchem Agritech Ltd has developed biofilteration technology for treatment of sewage and industrial wastewater in the most efficient way. Gujarat Pollution Control Board has taken note of this technology. The company has done several installations ranging from 25 KLD to 400 KLD at decentralised level.
 
Biofilter, the saviour
Biofilter is emerging as an environmentally sustainable, economically viable and socially acceptable technology. It is a synthesis process which harnesses energy, carbon and other elements of the waste and converts them to precious bio-nutritional products like energy rich humus and bio-fertiliser and nutrient rich water.
 
Transchem Agritech’s biofilteration technology offers advantages such as low operating and maintenance costs, low energy input, no sludge formation, no odour since it is aerobic and hygienic process, substantial reduction in colour, and able to handle high COD (upto 30,000 ppm) & high TDS (upto 15,000 ppm). Water treated with biofilteration technology, which meets pollution control norms for irrigation and river discharge, is nutrient rich and good for agricultural purposes.

      
After treatment of sewage water through biofilter, it can be subjected to tertiary treatment using reverse osmosis (RO) system to get high quality of water. Transchem Agritech has set up such a system for one of its clients in Bhavnagar, Gujarat, where they are treating 400 KLD plant. The water, after RO system, is used by the client for processes in its factory.
 
In addition to sewage water, Transchem Agritech has been working on using biofilters for treating wastewater generated by industries such as dairy, food processing, textile, chemicals, dye intermediates, etc. The company has witnessed encouraging results for other industrial wastewater treatment.

 
(This was featured in Business Standard newspaper on January 24, 2014)