Textile Effluent-Surface Water Pollution and Its Remedial Measures at Maheshtala Textile Cluster, South 24 Parganas, West Bengal, India

摘要

The Maheshtala is one of the century old textile clusters in India. Due to availability of cotton and skilled human resources in West Bengal, textile units set up rapidly. At present about 700 units are operating in Maheshtala region covering Chatta, Chatta bazaar, Kalikapur and Mahishpota and other adjoining areas. The effluent discharged from these units is estimated at 20,000 kl/day. The huge quantity of water drawn from the underground resources for textile processing, bleaching, dyeing, printing, etc. Effluents thus produced from such operations are directly discharged to the adjoining Chatta canal and nearby land. The study revealed that the chemical parameters like suspended solids (926 mg/L), total dissolved solids (6,410 mg/L), chemical oxygen demand (l,824mg/L), biochemical oxygen demand (608 mg/L), Chromium (0.03mg/L), and Lead (0.43 mg/L) of raw effluent exceeded the maximum permissible discharge limits laid down by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS 10500) and WHO (2003) standards. The degraded surface water of canal overflows to the adjoining agriculture land. The surface water quality is not suitable for domestic use, agriculture and aqua cultural production. The major cross-section of the people inhabiting in those areas and the persons occupational^ exposed to those trace metals have become affected in many pathological conditions like gastrointestinal disorder, high blood pressure, ulceration in 61 region, cancer, etc. As an immediate remedial measure 3-4 advanced common effluent treatment plants (CETP) with a capacity of treating of 500-600 kl/day each being technically feasible and financially viable are required to be installed for altogether 250 tiny and small scale textile bleaching and dyeing units in an industrial park within the cluster.