Raising concern over sustainable issues of apparel industry , Planet Textiles 2017 in Bangalore was truly an international and thought-provoking event . Recently organized by MCL News & Media and the Sustainable Apparel Coalition ( SAC ), the day-long event which was part of a week-long series of events on environmental and social issues in the textile and clothing sector , witnessed nearly 340 delegates from 25 countries . Water scarcity , chemical management , ZLD , circular economy , were the core points in discussion along with many other burning issues . Proactive apparel industry participation from across India was another good aspect of this event . Like most of the other textile and apparel manufacturing hubs , Bangalore is also suffering from water scarcity which is continuously growing . The worried industry highlighted this aspect in the event also . It was noticed that the way of working poses a real threat to the textile industry in India . Manoj Gulati , ED , Water . org , India shared , “ The value of the Indian textiles industry , currently at US $ 108 billion , is expected to reach US $ 223 billion by 2021 . Presently , the Indian textiles sector consumes around 830 million cubic litres of water per annum . This pressure on water availability can
|
only go one way unless we start to act now .” Water . org , an international NGO , works with the likes of IKEA , Gap and Inditex to equip people with the means to access water and sanitation in textile producing regions . It provides micro-loans so that individuals can improve access to water and sanitation through WaterCredit . So far it has helped to supply to 5.2 million people and also provided 99 per cent repayment on these loans .
Adding to the same topic , Tracy Nilsson , Senior Director of Social Environmental Affairs , Adidas Sourcing Ltd ., Hong Kong , emphasized to the Indian textile mills present at the event how its tier 1 and tier 2 suppliers are expected to reduce water use to a minimum of 20 per cent by 2020 . “ With an increasing and ever-growing issue of water scarcity , we have developed an overall approach to address water efficiency , improve wastewater quality and provide better accessibility to water in communities ,” she said .
Connecting the solution to water issue with Zero Liquid Discharge ( ZLD ) Sajid Hussain , COO , Tamilnadu Water Investment Company Limited , Chennai , noted the value of wastewater use through zero discharge , and stated , “ According to a UNESCO report , India is the
|
Manoj Gulati , ED , Water . org |
Tracy Nilsson , Senior Director of Social Environmental Affairs , Adidas Sourcing Ltd .
Sajid Hussain , COO , Tamilnadu Water Investment Company Limited
|
number one country when it comes to annual groundwater extraction . We remove an average of 251 cu / km ( cubic kilometres per year ) compared to the USA and China which come at a distant second and both average water extraction rates are around 112 cu / km .” He also referred to the indiscriminate withdrawal of groundwater ‘ free of cost ’ in most parts of the country , but that costs are now being applied . “ Water has been priced low in many parts ,” he said , “ However , the cost of fresh water for the industry is now rising due to scarcity . In Tirupur , it is Rs . 78 / m 3 , Vellore Rs . 50 / m 3 , and Pali Rs . 100 / m 3 .”
Sajid Hussain further explained that there is both an industrial need and a political requirement to tackle this problem as soon as possible but there are technical challenges to overcome for ZLD . The most notable is the problem of waste disposal once wastewater contaminants have been extracted . “ ZLD is a technological challenge , and the focus now must be on Zero Waste Disposal ( ZWD ). Brine concentration , evaporation , crystallization and disposal are problematic but the focus must be on the recovery and reuse of salts which can be done in practice . At the end , water scarcity , water economics and regulatory pressure will be the main drivers of ZLD and will ultimately
|