The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Tirupur knitwear cluster hopes govt. will solve its crisis

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Friday, May 20, 2011
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Tirupur knitwear cluster hopes govt. will solve its crisis

R Vimal Kumar

Tirupur: Tirupur knitwear cluster looks to AIADMK-led government to solve its crisis, which was one of the election promises of the party, following closure of dyeing units ordered by the Madras High Court for violating pollution norms.

The demands from the cluster varied from installation of a good quality zero liquid discharge system like the eco green industrial evaporator developed by NIFT-TEA College of Knitwear Fashion to the costly marine discharge system as solutions to ensure zero discharge in the dyeing effluent treatment process.

A few industrialists feel that the marine discharge project will be a “permanent” solution though many dyeing units had told Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board that they were ready to instal zero liquid discharge system in the Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) and Individual Treatment Plants (IETPs).

The total cost of setting up the zero liquid discharge systems in 15 CETPs and 61 IETPs, which had expressed readiness, was estimated to be around Rs 1,200 crore.

However, a section of the stakeholders in the cluster, especially farmers, viewed the demand for the marine discharge project as a delaying tactic.

“Why do you need a marine discharge project at another Rs. 1,200 crore when zero liquid discharge had proved to be a ‘possible' technique,” asked K.C.M. Balasubramaniam, a progressive farmer and retired agricultural scientist from Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.

CPI district secretary M. Ravi wanted the new government to find a holistic solution to the effluent discharge problem as quickly as possible and protect the livelihood of thousands of workers employed in the textile sector.

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