Pollution standards for sugar industry

Specific wastewater discharge standard has been limiting to 200 litres per tonne of cane crushed, as against the earlier limit of 400 litres. The final treated effluent discharge has been restricted to 100 litres per tonne of cane crushed and waste water from spray pond overflow, or cooling tower blow down to be restricted to 100 litres per tonne of cane crushed. Only single outlet point from unit has been allowed to encourage operational efficiency and treated effluent recycling practices.

Further, only one outlet or discharge point will be allowed, which will be covered as per the 24x7 online monitoring protocol. The number of effluent quality parameters to be monitored for ascertaining compliance have now been increased to six: pH-level, Bio-chemical Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) and Oil & Grease (O&G). 

Earlier, the notified parameters were only for BOD and TSS. The emission limits for particulate matter from stack has been limited to 150 milligramme per cubic metre. The notified standards also contain a protocol for treated effluent irrigation and wastewater conservation and pollution control management, wherein treated effluent loading rates (in cubic meter per hectare per day) have been mentioned for different soil textures. 

The waste water conservation and pollution control management mandates that individual units will establish cooling arrangement and polishing tank for recycling excess condensate water to process sections, or utilities, or allied units. The Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) will also be stabilised one month prior to the start of crushing season.