Conservation - Reducing Water Usage

Guest Post by: D. S. Rawat,ASSOCHAM

Image and Content Courtesy: ASSOCHAM It is our great privilege to inform you that ASSOCHAM under its Cool The Earth , Initiative is organizing International Summit on "Water Governance , Critical Issues For All"at 9.00 a.m. on June 24, 2009 at ASSOCHAM House, New Delhi. Our initiative is supported by the Ministry of Water Resources, UNESCO, International Water Management Institute, and Water Technology Centre, (IARI), KPMG (as knowledge partner) and other prominent organizations in water sector. As is evident, Water is going to be of increasing critical importance to countries like India in the coming years. ASSOCHAM has been carrying out special studies and surveys on water conservation and related issues. Our view is that water is going to be as integral part of whole infrastructure system as roads, power, etc in the development process in future. During informal consultations with government officials, experts and NGO's, we have been advised to raise awareness about water management among the consumers, industrial houses, agriculturists, environmentalists, NGO's, media, etc. so as to generate priority concern for all and to help find right solutions.

The Andhra Pradesh Water, Land and Trees Act, 2002 repealed the APWALTA Ordinance as well as the AP Ground Water (Regulation for Drinking Water Purposes) Act, 1996. Under this Act an Authority has been constituted at the State, District and Mandal level and administrators for the same were to be appointed.

The modalities for the same appointment of the administrator, terms of office of the nominated members, resignation, removal from authority, allowances, constitution of the District and Mandal authority, meetings of the State, District and Mandal authorities have been worked out.

As India's economic boom gathers more and more momentum with each passing year, industrial water and energy use and related environmental impacts are going to be among the most critical factors in resource sustainability debates in the country and elsewhere. The companies portrayed represent a wide spectrum of industry: paper, metals, agro-processing, synthetic fibre, petroleum, transport, cement, energy, fertilizer, soft drinks and more.

Made available to us by the CII, the presentations offered here describe in detail just how these varied companies have undertaken wide ranging and often innovative eco-friendly modifications to equipment and procedures both within the their plants and in the townships around them. Technical parameters, financial implications and gains/savings are all clearly documented, making them valuable resource materials for study amongst the industrial community in India and elsewhere. While specific industries can of course gain from the sector specific innovations, there is also a wealth of material on ideas whose utility cuts across sectors, potentially benefiting industry as a whole.

• Click here to view all the presentations
• Read a description of the event by S. Vishwanath of the Rainwater Club who was on the jury
• Click here to visit CII-GBC website

As a major user of water and generator of effluents, the corporate sector has a tremendous impact on India's water and sanitation situation, especially in the current context of accelerating growth and industrial development.

This presentation describes the efforts undertaken by ITCs Munger plant at water conservation.

This presentation describes the efforts at environmental management at  JK  Tyres, Kankroli, plant.

This presentation describes the efforts undertaken by ITC Bhadrachalan at water conservation. The company has chosen energy management, environmental & waste management and social & farm forestry as major focus areas for CSR.

Specific processes include recycling/reuse of paper mill back water for dilution of bleached pulp and unbleached tower as well as for pulp slushing; of recausticising plant cooling and sealing water to clarifloculator; reduction in DM water consumption due to increase in process condensate recovery; arresting water piping leakages including fire hydrant piping by clamping; and recycling of paper machine primary clarifier outlet water for miscellaneous uses. Specific water consumption trends show a decrease from 183 cu m/tonne in 1997-'98 to 60.7 cu m/tonne in 2006-'07.

This presentation describes the efforts undertaken by Mico Bosch - Jaipur at water conservation. Water conservation measures taken by this manufacturer of fuel injection pumps for the automotive industry come under the broad heads of reduction in specific water consumption, community partnership & campaigns, and conservation, recycling & auditing.

This, in a larger framework that includes the use of non-conventional energy sources; technology upgradation and increases in usage efficiency; monitoring, auditing and awareness initiatives; resource use minimization and recycling; tree plantation; the minimization of green house gas emissions, vendor/supplier audits and awareness drives for employees and society at large. A zero waste water discharge unit since inception, the plant recycles waste water for both process and gardening needs.

This presentation describes the water conservation efforts made by ITC Limited,  PSPD unit, Kovai, Tamil Nadu. ITC's Kovai unit manufactures paperboard and specialty papers (PSPD). Investments of Rs 30 million in water conservation, Rs.500 million on energy conservation and Rs.150 million on waste utilization have helped this plant achieve many breakthroughs, among them zero effluent discharge and zero solid waste output. 100% of the fly ash from the boiler, sludge from the ETP & plastics from waste is recycled.

The use of waste biomass as the main fuel for the boiler has reduced CO2 emissions by 96,000 tonnes per annum. Under the green belt development activities, vegetation has gone up from 20,000 trees in 2004-'05 to 80,500 in 2006-'07.

This presentation describes the efforts undertaken by Indo Rama Synthetics (I) Limited, Butibori, Nagpur, at water conservation.

This presentation describes the efforts made by Birla Corporation Ltd at Satna, Madhya Pradesh at water conservation.