The UP Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA), a body of private sugar mills in the state, has sought the help of National Sugar Institute (NSI) in Kanpur for reducing the use of freshwater and effluent discharge by the sugar refineries.
UPSMA recently held a detailed discussion with the NSI in this regard.
UPSMA secretary general Deepak Guptara said they were seeking guidance from the National Sugar Institute. He said the sugar industry had already taken many initiatives which had resulted in considerable improvement in terms of specific fresh water consumption, waste water discharge and its quality as indicated by specific Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) loading during the last six crushing seasons.
Comparing the figures of 2017-18 with 2022-23 of 147 sugar factories situated in Ganga basin, shows that the average fresh water requirement has reduced from 55 litre/ton to 77 litre/ton of sugarcane, effluent discharge from 190 litre/ton to 135 litre/ton of sugarcane and BOD loading from 0.0065 kg/ton to 0.0028 kg/ton of sugarcane.
“There is further scope for improvement and the institute has the vision to further reduce the fresh water consumption through adoption of innovative technology for minimising steam requirement and recycling waste water after cost effective treatment,” he added.
Now, to meet changing market requirements, the sugar industry is required to adopt different processes for making sugar of desired qualities which needs adoption of different process techniques. Because of this, various requirements, including fresh water consumption, also varies and, in some cases, also becomes higher.
Guptara said with the help of the National Sugar Institute they would like to implement a charter for keeping fresh water requirements lower and ensuring quality and quantity of effluent as per norms.
CANE SAP SOON
Meanwhile, the UP government is likely to announce the state advisory price for sugarcane for the 2023-24 crushing season soon.
The sugarcane crushing for the current season 2023-24 has commenced in several sugar mills in western UP and is likely to commence in the rest of the state in November.
Official sources said the consultation with all stakeholders for determining the SAP was on and the representatives of sugar industry and farmers’ organisations and sugarcane cooperative societies had placed their case before the government.
The sources said after hearing from both sides, the chief secretary would submit a proposal to the cabinet for approval this month.