HYDERABAD: Telangana has emerged as one of the best-performing states in industrial wastewater management, with nearly all of its industries requiring Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs) now operating with functional units.
Out of 2,180 identified industries, 2,179 have installed ETPs, leaving just one without a treatment facility. This amounts to over 98% of its industries complying with effluent treatment norms, according to official data from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Of these, 2,142 industries are fully compliant with prescribed effluent discharge norms, while 37 have faced scrutiny for lapses.
In comparison, states such as Tamil Nadu, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and Kerala have achieved close to 100% compliance, positioning them slightly ahead of Telangana. Maharashtra (98.1%) and Karnataka (94.2%) also show strong performance but fall a few points behind.
On the other hand, states like Punjab (89.5%) and Odisha (90.2%) reveal gaps in enforcement, while Assam (58.3%) and West Bengal (54.5%) are at the bottom, with nearly half of their identified industries failing to comply with treatment norms.
This comparison highlights Telangana’s place in the top tier of performers nationwide, though the few remaining non-compliant units still demand close monitoring.
Additionally, the state’s achievement stands out when compared with other industrial states. Maharashtra, with 9,925 industries requiring ETPs, reported 190 non-compliant units, while Gujarat has 143 such cases. Tamil Nadu, which has the highest number of industries (13,199), recorded 48 violators despite full ETP coverage.
Officials say the high compliance rate reflects the state’s robust enforcement mechanisms. “We have ensured that almost every industry has a treatment system in place. The focus now is on continuous monitoring and pushing for zero non-compliance,” a senior official from the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TGPCB) told TNIE on condition of anonymity.
The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has strengthened compliance through Online Continuous Effluent Monitoring Systems (OCEMS), which transmit real-time pollution data to both state and central authorities. Officials confirm that this system has helped the state reach this stage.
Environmental experts see the state’s near universal coverage as a critical step towards sustainable industrial growth. They say that the state has shown that with strict enforcement and industry cooperation, water pollution from industrial clusters can be significantly reduced.
Community voices, however, urge continued vigilance. “Numbers look good on paper, but what matters to us is whether the nearby lakes and streams stay clean. The government must keep monitoring because one violator can undo years of progress,” said Ramesh Yadav, a resident of Patancheru, a long-time pollution hotspot.
Officials said that the government is also promoting reuse of treated wastewater in cooling, construction and landscaping to ease stress on freshwater resources.
With 53 Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) nationwide designed for Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD), the state is expected to adopt more such facilities in its industrial zones going forward.
Experts say that as industries expand, the challenge will be to go beyond compliance and move towards circular water use. Treated water must be seen as a resource, not waste, they said.