Industrial Waste - Issues, Root Causes and Solutions

Dear all:

Below are the Key Issues, Root Causes and Solutions as they relate to Industrial Waste in India.

Please review them and if you have anything additional to add, please post your view as a comment to this post classifying your input with a prefix. (Issue, Root Cause, Solution)

We will soon compile the whitepaper to be shared with Senior Leaders in the Ministry as well as circulate to other Government Stakeholders.

Thanks for your active participation!
Ministry of Urban Development

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Industrial Waste – Solutions

1. Social campaigns should be designed to educate citizens and workers about the hazards of industrial waste
2. Waste segregation plants should be made mandatory for all industries
3. Pre-appointed days to collect each category of waste by the Service provider
4. All collection mechanisms to be mechanized
5. Monitoring and regulation of industrial waste should be made a high priority by the Government
6. Create awareness and incentives amongst industrialists so profit generation is balanced with impact to environment
7. Government should come up with laws to mandate industrial waste regulation
8. Conversion of Waste to Wealth should be given emphasis and encouragement by the Government
9. Research and development facilities should be set up to study conversion of industrial waste in to useful materials
10. Special tax benefits should be given to private entities setting up waste conversion units
11. The working of the Pollution Control Board should be modernized through process reengineering and systems
12. Pollution Control Board (PCB) officials' industrial visit reports should be put on their website immediately after their visits and also follow up/ rectifications/action taken /certification by PCB to be put on the website
13. Corruption nexus between the non-compliant industries & Government official (who need to enforce the regulations) needs to be eliminated
14. Inspectors caught taking bribes should be suspended and criminal proceedings should be done against them
15. The production processes should be scientifically designed, which will ensure least pollution and wastage
16. Recycling plants should be set up by industries with the Government guaranteeing buy back
17. Raw materials which lead to major harm to the environment should be banned
18. Municipality should be given modern equipment and resources to enforce regulations
19. Municipal Corporators should be asked to make public their contributions towards improving the state of handling , treatment & disposal of industrial waste
20. Disposing off of chemical effluents waste into bores that affect ground water should
be made punishable
21. Declare the Environment as a "National Asset" to be nurtured and protected by every individual
22. Relocate small units in industrial estates with common environment support system
23. Set up a process for collection for small and medium industries
24. Recognition to zero waste discharge firms
25. Strict Fines & Penalties should be imposed on violators


Industrial Waste – Root Causes

1. There is lack of awareness amongst the citizens/workers on the hazards posed by industrial waste
2. Non-existing waste separation plants
3. Effluent treatment plants are set up but are mostly non-functional or working below capacity due to maintenance/operational issues
4. There is very poor monitoring & regulations of industries which are in remote & far-flung areas
5. Making profits is the sole motive without any consideration for the impact on the environment
6. The Government does not have strict and well researched modern laws for industrial cleanliness, controlling and punishment systems setup
7. No emphasis on research into conversion of waste to harmless or useful materials
8. No encouragement for setting up public or private sector waste conversion industries.
9. No monitoring of existing waste conversion industries
10. No compulsory reporting to shareholders of waste produced
11. The pollution monitoring agency namely 'Pollution Control Board' (PCB) is ineffective / inadequate in its operations and even the Board itself is polluted due to the nexus with industry people or politicians
12. The production processes are not scientific, out dated and ineffective and lead to pollution
13. Location of unauthorised industries/small scale units and their processes are not monitored
14. Recycling concept is not effectively followed
15. Use of raw materials, which do not degrade completely in the industrial process and result in residues
16. Conversion of industrial wastes for other uses is not fully explored
17. Industrial effluents are discharged during rains or nearby water courses
18. The ill effects caused to soil and water is not bothered and the production of crops affected.
19. Industrial wastes pollute air and cause discomfort to human life
20. Most industries are not serious about waste management
21. Lack of strict enforcement and compliance with corruption being a key issue. Environment clearance certificates are obtained with bribes.
22. Municipal authorities lack resources and the will to enforce

Industrial Waste – Key Issues

1. Industries try to save money by not processing waste appropriately
2. Industries are not willing to install waste disposal systems as they cost
3. Industrial waste is dumped in open grounds
4. In many areas industrial waste is thrown in fertile lands, slowly making it barren
5. Some industries use rivers as the dumping ground for their waste
6. Industries pollute air with smoke, smelly chemicals, ash etc.
7. Highly toxic element such as mercury, lead, arsenic, chromium etc. find their way into the water, soil & air due to reckless dumping of untreated industrial waste
8. The health of humans, birds, animals is jeopardized as the pollutants enter the food chain
9. Industries do not follow the existing pollution control norms
10. They make their surroundings dirty
11. Industries try to cover up by bribing officials
12. Health of the workers inside these plants also get affected in a bad way
13. No control on units operating in unauthorized colonies more