Storti had come to Vardhman Textiles Limited today, for a presentation of his project. Earlier, he also met Chief Minister Punjab Parkash Singh Badal and Chief Secretary Ramesh Inder Singh, to explain the reuse of industrial and domestic waste for irrigation. He added that treated industrial effluents achieve a better proportion and less toxicity. Hence, fish survival in treated industrial water is 100 per cent, he pointed out.

Talking to Newsline, Storti said, “The Chief Secretary has asked me to submit a techno-commercial proposal to the state government. The government may also depute technical experts to study the viability of the project. The experts can also visit Italy to study the subject.”

Storti pointed out that the zero liquid discharge instructions given by PPCB to the industry are not sustainable. “These will make India uncompetitive against China, Pakistan and other countries.”

Sources reveal that the industrial units are also giving this plea to PPCB that while the units have been set up at an average expenditure of Rs 15-20 lakh, the zero liquid discharge plant for one unit costs more than a crore. Hence, it is not viable for units to set up individual plants as per the new instructions, they say.

In addition, every industry has been told to reuse the water within their unit, and that no liquid should be discharged outside. Storti highlighted, “The total generation of waste water in Ludhiana Municipal Corporation alone is more than 88 per cent of the domestic sewage, with 12 per cent of industrial waste water. At present, one sewerage treatment plant (STP) of MC is operational, and two more are going to be added soon. It is a better proposition that if both the primary treated industrial effluents and untreated sewage are mixed, before reaching the STPs. This can reduce the toxicity of the water, and helps the treatment plant. The sludge cakes coming out of this treatment can be used to increase crop productivity, as it is biocompost.”