Banned dyeing factories from Tamil Nadu set up shop in Karnataka

2 small units relocate to Kengeri suburb of Bangalore

Foam from effluents coats the waters of Vrishabhavati river (Photo credit: Rishabh Chakravorty)

By Pallavi Ail

BANGALORE (Sept. 13)—Karnataka State Pollution Control Board will instruct the city’s power supplier, BESCOM, to cut electricity supply to two small textile-dyeing factories in Kengeri if they do not stop releasing untreated effluent into the Vrishabhavati River.

The factories crossed the border from Tirupur in Tamil Nadu, where they were forcibly shut down by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. They polluted the Noyyal River there in the same manner as they are now polluting the Vrishabhavati River in Bangalore.

Tirupur was in the news last year after TNPCB closed operations of almost 700 dyeing factories following an order from the Madras High Court.

“The units from Tirupur are now moving into Bangalore,” said Lakshmi Narayan, environmental officer of KSPCB.

Pollutants cause diseases in humans, animals

N. Nagraj, a former professor at the University of Agricultural Sciences, Bangalore, told The SoftCopy: “Untreated effluents, when released in rivers, seeps into the ground which affects water quality in wells and borewells. The pollutants also cause skin diseases in humans and edema in livestock.”

Nagraj published a study titled “Economic and Environmental Implications of Groundwater Degradation in Vrishabhavathi River Basin” in 2005.

Of the five common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) in Bangalore, one is in Kumbalgodu. Pai & Pai Chemicals Pvt. Ltd. is located about seven kilometers from the two illegal factories in Kengeri.

Small factories ignore effluent treatment norms to curtail costs

As KSPCB pointed out, small factories tend to ignore effluent treatment norms because the cost of setting up CETPs exceeds the investment made in the actual business.

Another problem is that illegal CETPs are mushrooming across the city. These plants charge a lower amount than the legally registered CETPs, but instead of treating it, they dump the effluents into storm water drains or rivers.

“The legal CETPs are not being optimally utilized as they are situated far from the city while the manufacturing units are within the city,” Narayan said. “Often, there are leakages in transit.”

Many small factories situated in Peenya unload their untreated effluent directly into drains, especially at night, to avoid detection.

He said one of the major problems faced by KSPCB is maintaining a check-and-balance method.

The owners of the factories produce fake receipts claiming that they sent the effluent for treatment. However, KSPCB does not have the required number of personnel to carry out frequent audits of the records of CETPs. These can be tallied with the owners’ receipts, thus detecting the fakes.

Permanent solution needed

“Industrial parks should be set up sector-wise. They should be situated away from water sources and should have a centrally located CETP,” Narayan said.

He said there should be dedicated CETPs to treat effluents from specific processes including dyeing, electroplating and anodizing. He also said that CETPs should be set up by Karnataka Industrial Development Board in conjunction with state government. This will reduce the cost of treatment for the owners of factories and work as an incentive for them to send effluent for treatment.