Snag hits installation of reverse osmosis plant in dyeing units

The installation of Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants by the dyeing units in Tirupur could be further delayed with the knitwear industry in the region finding it difficult to obtain loans from banks to raise funds for the installations due to technical snags. Reverse Osmosis (RO) plants treat the marine discharge of salts from the units.

Earlier, the Madras High Court had directed the 600-odd dyeing and bleaching units to deposit half the project cost of attaining zero effluent discharge, including installation of RO plants, pipelines, civil works and evaporators, before February 28 or face an en masse closure. The industry, which was unable to mobilise funds to the tune of Rs 250 crore, had appealed to the court for extension of the payment period.

Earlier, the Dyers' Association of Tirupur (DAT) had filed a petition seeking more time to furnish the deposit. However, industry sources said that a majority of the dyeing unit owners have come forward to install RO units despite hardships. "Since any move to seek more time for installing RO plants would cripple the business, we did not persist on the same," they added.

There are 20 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) in Tirupur, of which, 10 had come forward to install the RO plants and deposited 50 per cent of the project cost. The court has given time till March 20 to the remaining 10 CETPs.

But these plant owners complain that they are not getting enough support from banks and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) authorities to raise money. "We approached a number of banks in the region for loans. Bankers demand the consent letter from TNPCB for the grant of loans for RO plants. But TNPCB officials maintain that they could issue a No Objection Certificate (NOC) only after the project is studied by the Anna Varsity and a report is submitted. The NOC is a must for obtaining loans from the banks," a dyeing plant owner told Business Standard.

The Board has already ordered the installation of an electronic display system to ensure transparency in pollution control measures. The display should give details of products, permissible emission levels, effluent discharge and waste disposals. The units have been asked to link it to the online system to make the display effective and foolproof.

Sources pointed out that the problems faced by the industry, which provides employment to more than three lakh people, is expected to become an issue of concern for the opposition parties during the oncoming elections in the state.