The Hindu Business Line : CII-Kerala stress on preventive eco-management

PREVENTIVE environmental management and integrated chemicals management dominated the group interactions at a workshop - Charter for Synergising Industry and Environment - organised by the CII-Kerala and the Local Area Environment Committee (LAEC - Eloor & Edayar) constituted by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee.

The workshop featured group interactions on four main topics such as treatment, disposals, waste minimisation and polluters and sources. Representatives of various stakeholders led each of the groups, the findings of which were discussed at length and rudiments of a charter for synergising and environment was adopted at the end of the workshop.

As per the findings of the group on treatment, it is necessary to create an inventory of waste and existing effluent treatment plans. Major units should have a treatment plant and it is necessary to undertake a feasibility study of a common effluent treatment plant.

All units have an environment management system and in case of issues relating to pollution, there must be a facility for checking the environment management system.

The group on waste minimisation identified the twin objectives of waste minimisation as to reduce the environment load of discharges by industry; and to reduce the hazardous waste production in industry.

To achieve these objectives, it is necessary to have process re-design through internal or collaborative researches. The group also recommended waste audit, environmental quality index and neighbourhood satisfaction index as the indicators for achieving the waste minimisation objectives.

The group on disposals found that it is necessary to dispose the hazardous waste without causing adverse impact to the environment. The disposals should be techno-economically feasible.

Towards this, the group recommended restructuring of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board through a consultative and participatory process. It also recommended identifying disposal technology and methods in the short term of 5-20 years duration.

The group on polluters and sources documented the various liquid, solid and gaseous waste from seven major companies participated in the group. The four point rudiments of a charter (action plan for synergising industry and environment) unanimously adopted at the workshop are: industry to proactively reach to all stakeholders such as civil society, experts, NGO's for tackling environmental impact due to industrial pollution.

To identify 15 to 20 demonstration projects among all types of industry - small, medium and large scale. To submit technology proposal to bilateral and multi lateral agencies such as the UNEP, DFID and US-Asia Environmental Partnership and leading financial institutions for comprehensive remediation projects; to create extensive unit wise standard operating procedures (SOP's), management information system and documentation of unit wise waste generation and act as base line historical information.

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