Pollution control authorities have asked sugar mills and distilleries in Uttar Pradesh to ensure that their effluent treatment plants are in order and are commissioned before the start of cane crushing season commencing from November this year.
The mills have also been directed to ensure that untreated effluent is not discharged in water bodies.
UP Sugar Mills Association organised a one-day interactive meet on ‘Sugar industry and environment’ in Lucknow on Monday.
Ashish Vidyarthi from Central Pollution Control Board asked sugar mills, particularly those having distilleries, to stabilise effluent treatment plants in their mills before the start of cane crushing season and set up environment management cell.
He said that none of the mills had trained ETP operators and the plants were being run by unskilled labourers on ad hoc basis. Vidyarthi said that each sugar mill should have 4-5 ITI trained ETP operators and they should be imparted further training by sugar mill management.
The CPCB official expressed concern over the lack of analytical laboratories in sugar mills for testing quality of treated effluents. He said that sugar mills should set up analytical laboratory and take the help of local institutions for its management and operation.
In July, Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) had served closure notices on 64 distilleries across the state to prevent surface-water pollution during monsoon.
Organic matter found in distillery effluents cause oxygen depletion, increasing risks for aquatic life.
Distilleries are part of the highly polluting industries such as sugar and pharmaceuticals. Untreated effluents released into water bodies during monsoon cannot be checked during sampling due to high current in tributaries.
The UPPCB had also issued closure notices on distilleries that had been making compost sans insulators. Managements of distilleries were directed to raise manure storage areas to about 30 cm above ground level with a maximum prescribed height of four metres. It had directed that compost be kept under sheds or covered with PVC sheets to prevent it from soaking in rainwater.