Making attempts towards a pollution-free State, the Punjab Government has been successful in installing the Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) systems in as many as 328 water polluting large scale industries to stop flow of industrial pollution into the rivers.
“In addition, 3621 water polluting small scale and 170 medium scale industries have installed the ETP or recirculation treatment systems, entailing that all the large, medium scale units and 99.75 per cent of the small scale units have installed ETPs,” said Punjab Pollution Control Board chairman Ravinder Singh.
He added that about 1000 industrial unit have joined various Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETP) provided in different cities. Besides, one more CETP for tiny electroplating industries at Malerkotla has been installed.
He added that electroplating industry of three cities — ludhiana, Jalandhar and Mohali — which was the cause of main worry for river pollution since carrying heavy metals like nickel and chrome etc, have joined CETP, ludhiana based on zero liquid discharge technology. Ravinder Singh said that 909 small scale units have become members of this CETP, resulting in the stoppage of about 66 lakh litres per month of toxic effluents earlier being discharged into rivers directly or indirectly through sewers.
“All the eight large and medium scale electroplating industries of ludhiana have adopted zero liquid discharge (ZlD) technology,” he added. Further, the PPCB chairman said that four distilleries in the State have adopted “Zero liquid Discharge” technology and other distilleries are following the same suite. “All the Pharmaceutical units having high TDS effluents have provided RO or MEE plants. For the wastewater of leather Complex in Jalandhar being discharged into Kala Singha Drain leading to river Sutlej, second module of CETP having capacity of five MlD has been commissioned. With this, the pollution potential in Kala Singha drain has reduced significantly,” he added.