Ahmedabad Textile Industry’s Research Association (ATIRA) has developed a cost-effective technology – Zero Discharge System (ZDS) – based on thermal evaporation that ensures that waste gets treated at almost 15% of its actual cost at a Central Effluent Treatment Plant (CETP).
From a price range of र 400-800, the expense incurred comes down to between र 60-90 per kilo litre of toxic discharge. A team of six researchers from ATIRA have approached Vatva and Vapi industrial estates with the technology. Today, ZDS is operational in a factory in Odhav and in Tirupur in Tamil Nadu. In ZDS, effluents of industry are pumped at high pressure into the modules mounted on a 60-70 feet high tower along with compressed air from the ground level. The mixture is instantly vapourised by natural diffusion process. Water vapour so generated in the towers diffuses away into the air.
The textile units use large quantity of water for activities, including bleaching, dyeing and painting operations and the toxic discharge is at the rate of 5,000 litre to one lakh litre per hour depending upon the quantum of goods processed.