TIRUPPUR: The dyeing industry in Tiruppur has demanded the setting up of a recycling system to treat the mixed salt that accumulates in Common Effluent Treatment plants (CETPs).
It has now reiterated its demand to the state and central governments to take steps to establish a common reject management system to process mixed salt that is the final residue of the sewage treatment process.
Around 350 dyeing units are operating in Tiruppur, the knitwear capital of the country. There are CETPs at 18 locations to treat the dyeing sewage discharged from these units.
Industries in Tiruppur has adopted Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) technology since 2010. However, about 1.2 lakh tons of mixed salt from industries have accumulated in Tiruppur.
Speaking to TNIE, BA Madeshwaran, Treasurer of Dyers Association of Tiruppur (DAT), said, "In Tiruppur, around 10 crore litres of dyeing sewage is treated daily through the CETPs. Of this, 9.2 crore litres of water is purified and reused. After all the recycling processes, around 2% of mixed salt will remain. We have been continuously urging the central and state governments to set up a common reject management system in Tiruppur to recycle or process this."
"For example, purifying 100 litres of dying sewage water produces about 2 kg of mixed salt residue. A private company from Ramanathapuram procures this mixed salt from us and treats it. For this, we pay them a fee of Rs 7,000 to Rs 7,200 per tonne. Hydrochloric acid, peroxide, caustic soda, and hypochlorite can be separated from this mixed salt and reused," he added.
"But the private company can only treat about 3,000 tons per month. That is why we are demanding the establishment of a common reject management system to treat the mixed salt in Tiruppur. If we set it up, we can treat the mixed salt ourselves, separate the chemicals, and reuse them. Therefore, the governments should focus on the process sector to protect the environment and foster continued growth of the industry," Madeshwaran stated.