Lok Sabha Debates
Shri K. Subbarayan Called The Attention Of The Minister Of Textiles To The ... on 28 July, 2005
> Title: Shri K. Subbarayan called the attention of the Minister of Textiles to the situation arising out of closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories located in and around Tirupur in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto.
15.38 hrs. SHRI K. SUBBARAYAN (COIMBATORE): Sir, I call the attention of the Minister of Textiles to the following matter of urgent public importance and request that he may make a statement thereon:
"The situation arising out of closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories located in and around Tirupur in Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto."
THE MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SHRI SHANKARSINH VAGHELA): Sir, at the outset, I would like to mention that the Government treats the closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories of Tirupur area as unfortunate. However, the facts gathered in this regard mention that the farmers of Karur and Erode districts found that the environmental pollution caused by the dyeing and bleaching factories were harmful to their agricultural products[bru33] .
The pollution was more pronounced in the river Noyal. Due to this reason, the farmers of Karur and Erode districts filed a case in the hon. Madras High Court. In 1998, the dyeing units were directed by the hon. Court to implement "Zero Discharge" by which the treated effluent can be reused. As these conditions have not been fulfilled except for a fraction of 89 dyeing plants out of about 737 units, the hon. Court has taken the decision to order the closure of dyeing and bleaching units where the Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant was not installed.
It may be noted that the above decision of the hon. Madras High Court has become possible because of the failure of dyeing and bleaching factories of Tirupur to install effluent treatment plants even after the direction of the hon. High Court of Madras. It would be relevant to mention that the textile processing activity has been notified as a "hazardous activity" with stringent regulations because a bye-product of textile processing activity is the generation of toxic effluent, which is required to be treated properly before disposal. However, the treatment of effluents requires major investment for the process houses without giving any tangible commercial returns. Therefore, they shy away from making this investment and in the absence of treatment of effluents, the textile processing discharges lead to pollution of water bodies which has its consequential impact on environment.
Under the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme of this Ministry, five per cent interest against bank loans can be reimbursed for installation of effluent treatment plants. Similarly, under the Industrial Pollution Control Project of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, there is a package to assist industrial units for controlling pollution. Under this package also loans are provided at concessional rates. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has approved an assistance of Rs. 50 crore for installing pollution control measures, inter alia, to different units at Tirupur under the Scheme, "Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme".
As per the notice, the affected units, numbering 600, employ around 2.50 lakh workers. This means, on an average, a single unit employs around 417 workers, which shows that the units are fairly large-sized and, therefore, may easily bear the cost of installation of eco-friendly effluent treatment plants.
Only yesterday, I have been informed that the hon. High Court of Madras has passed a judgement that the units who have already paid 25 per cent of the project cost towards the installation of Reverse Osmosis plants can file an affidavit giving the time for completion of the project. Under this circumstance, there is every likelihood for 352 closed units to reopen after compliance of the hon. High Court's order.
Again I would like to assure the hon. Member that under the existing schemes, the Government would like to provide all possible help to the textile processing units of Tirupur area in installation of effluent treatment plants.
(Placed in Library. See No. LT 2361/05) SHRI K. SUBBARAYAN : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I am very sorry to say that the statement of the Minister of Textiles is not proper. No permanent solution has been proposed in that.
First of all, I would like to clarify one matter. In the statement it is said that 600 units employ around 2.50 lakh workers. It is not correct. The dyeing and bleaching factories alone do not employ so much of workers. They employ only 20,000 workers. Only when you include the workers who are working in the 5,000 hosiery units, the number of workers will come to two and half lakhs.
I would like to request, through you, the Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Government that they should share the expenses involved in the installation of effluent treatment plants.
This is my humble request because bleaching, dyeing and hosiery units are generally tiny, small and medium industries. Therefore, the Central Government should do something in this matter.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri K.C. Palanisamy, you can ask for a clarificatory question.
*SHRI K.C. PALANISAMY (KARUR): Sir, as regards to the closure of dyeing and bleaching units in Tiruppur, the hosiery town known for knitting industry, I would like to reiterate whatever that has been stated by my esteemed colleague Shri Subbarayan while calling the attention of this august House and also of the Union Government. Sir, when our leader Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi was at the helm of affairs in the Government of Tamil Nadu, 25% subsidy was given to the processing units to set up effluent treatment plants. As the installation costs for *Translation of the speech originally delivered in Tamil.
these plants especially the setting up of reverse osmosis plants are not cost effective. They have not been set up fully. Tiny and small processing units cannot afford this heavy expenditure. The total effluent level per day is 5 crore litres and the cost for treating them will be more than Rs 50 crore and hence it becomes prohibitive. When the hosiery units export annually Rs 6000 crore worth of knitwear and pay taxes to both the State and Central Governments, the Governments themselves must come forward to set up common effluent plants sharing 50:50 and selecting clusters of units. Hence I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether the Government will ensure setting up of centralised common effluent treatment plants to benefit the hosiery units and knitting industry, thereby helping thousands of workers and their families who will be hit hard by the closure of processing units and the resultant closure of hosiery units?
SHRI A.V. BELLARMIN (NAGERCOIL): When Tirupur units are exporting and earning more than Rs.6000 crore annually and when Rs. 1800 crore and more is paid in the form of taxes, it is unfortunate that the Textile Ministry, on its own, has not come forward to help hosiery and related dyeing units by way of creating centralized effluent treatment plants in the interest of clothing and apparel industry and also the knitting sector workers, their family members and the rural population nearby. Hence, I want to know from the Textile Minister why there was no initiative from the Textile Ministry when this problem has been persisting for quite some time. It is found that the Department of Industrial Policy had nearly apprised an assistance of Rs. 50 crore only for industrial super-structure upgradation scheme.
Now, considering the gravity of the situation when 3.5 lakh of workers are losing jobs, 660 dyeing units are closed and thousands of hosiery units are facing closure, will the Government of India come forward with a relief measure? That is my question.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Shri V.P. Singh - only a clarificatory question.
SHRI VIJAYENDRA PAL SINGH (BHILWARA): I have a very specific question. Is it not a fact that most of the effluent plants that you are talking about are more expensive than even the processed houses and the dyeing plants? So, they will not be able to afford them. If they are not in a cluster, you cannot have a common effluent plant. Then, what is the solution to it?
The second question that I want to ask the Minister is that you have a Pollution Board in all the States, and they give NOCs. Are they really doing their job and what is the solution to all this[mks34] ?
Because, the effluent and the pollution of the waters in that area is so much that it creates a lot of disaster in that area. There is no solution. Mr. Minister, you must have a solution to it. So far, there are no solutions that have really come forward.
With these words, I conclude.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Now, the hon. Minister can reply.
श्री शंकर सिंह वाघेला : सभापति जी, पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल करने का काम टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री की पैरिफरी में नहीं आता है। जो स्टेट पाल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड होते हैं जो इसको कंट्रोल करने का काम करते हैं, वे देखते ही नहीं है कि पानी सही जाता है या नहीं। चेन्नई हाई कोर्ट में किसान लोग गए इसलिए स्टे आया है। इसमें टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री बीच में नहीं आती है। हमने पूरा इनफ्रास्ट्रक्चर डैवलप करने के लिए टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री ने आज तक एपेरल पाक्र्स और टीसीआईडीएस दो स्कीमें इंप्लीमैंट कीं। एक में १७ करोड़ रुपये दिये जाते थे और दूसरे में २० करोड़ रुपेय दिये जाते थे। इसमें एफ्लुएंट प्लांट भी आ जाते हैं। मैं रिकार्ड पर कहना चाहता हूं कि अभी तक किसी ने नहीं कहा है कि टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री इसमें हमारे काम में आए। १७ मई २००५ को तिरुपुर एक्सपोर्टर्स असोसियेशन की ओर से कुछ पैसे मांगे गए हैं जो हमारे पव्र्यू में नहीं आते हैं। फिर भी महने इसमें ११ करोड़ विंड मिल के लिए दिये हैं। ९ करोड़ रुपये और भी हम अगर वह चाहेंगे तो देंगे। ५० करोड़ रुपये इंस्टाल्ड पाल्यूशन कंट्रोल मद्रास के लिए दिये गये हैं जिसमें से २५ करोड़ रुपये रिलीज किये गये हैं। हमारे मनिस्टर ए. राजा जो एनवायर्नमैंट मंत्रालय देखते हैं, वे तमिलनाडु के हैं। मेरी उनसे बात हुई कि राज्य सरकार जो भी करती है, ठीक है। एनवायर्नमैंट मनिस्टर के साथ बैठकर इनके मंत्रालय की ग्रांट में से और हमारे मंत्रालय की ग्रांट में से हमारे सामने कोई प्रोजेक्ट रखेंगे तो उसको हम सिम्पेथैटिकली कंसिडर करेंगे।
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15.52 hrs. MATTERS UNDER RULE 377 > Title: Shri K. Subbarayan called the attention of the Minister of Textiles to the situation arising out of closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories located in and around Tirupur in Coimbatore district, Tamil Nadu and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto.
15.38 hrs. SHRI K. SUBBARAYAN (COIMBATORE): Sir, I call the attention of the Minister of Textiles to the following matter of urgent public importance and request that he may make a statement thereon:
"The situation arising out of closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories located in and around Tirupur in Coimbatore district in Tamil Nadu and steps taken by the Government in regard thereto."
THE MINISTER OF TEXTILES (SHRI SHANKARSINH VAGHELA): Sir, at the outset, I would like to mention that the Government treats the closure of more than 600 dyeing and bleaching factories of Tirupur area as unfortunate. However, the facts gathered in this regard mention that the farmers of Karur and Erode districts found that the environmental pollution caused by the dyeing and bleaching factories were harmful to their agricultural products[bru33] .
The pollution was more pronounced in the river Noyal. Due to this reason, the farmers of Karur and Erode districts filed a case in the hon. Madras High Court. In 1998, the dyeing units were directed by the hon. Court to implement "Zero Discharge" by which the treated effluent can be reused. As these conditions have not been fulfilled except for a fraction of 89 dyeing plants out of about 737 units, the hon. Court has taken the decision to order the closure of dyeing and bleaching units where the Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant was not installed.
It may be noted that the above decision of the hon. Madras High Court has become possible because of the failure of dyeing and bleaching factories of Tirupur to install effluent treatment plants even after the direction of the hon. High Court of Madras. It would be relevant to mention that the textile processing activity has been notified as a "hazardous activity" with stringent regulations because a bye-product of textile processing activity is the generation of toxic effluent, which is required to be treated properly before disposal. However, the treatment of effluents requires major investment for the process houses without giving any tangible commercial returns. Therefore, they shy away from making this investment and in the absence of treatment of effluents, the textile processing discharges lead to pollution of water bodies which has its consequential impact on environment.
Under the Technology Upgradation Fund Scheme of this Ministry, five per cent interest against bank loans can be reimbursed for installation of effluent treatment plants. Similarly, under the Industrial Pollution Control Project of the Ministry of Environment and Forests, there is a package to assist industrial units for controlling pollution. Under this package also loans are provided at concessional rates. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion has approved an assistance of Rs. 50 crore for installing pollution control measures, inter alia, to different units at Tirupur under the Scheme, "Industrial Infrastructure Upgradation Scheme".
As per the notice, the affected units, numbering 600, employ around 2.50 lakh workers. This means, on an average, a single unit employs around 417 workers, which shows that the units are fairly large-sized and, therefore, may easily bear the cost of installation of eco-friendly effluent treatment plants.
Only yesterday, I have been informed that the hon. High Court of Madras has passed a judgement that the units who have already paid 25 per cent of the project cost towards the installation of Reverse Osmosis plants can file an affidavit giving the time for completion of the project. Under this circumstance, there is every likelihood for 352 closed units to reopen after compliance of the hon. High Court's order.
Again I would like to assure the hon. Member that under the existing schemes, the Government would like to provide all possible help to the textile processing units of Tirupur area in installation of effluent treatment plants.
(Placed in Library. See No. LT 2361/05) SHRI K. SUBBARAYAN : Mr. Chairman, Sir, I am very sorry to say that the statement of the Minister of Textiles is not proper. No permanent solution has been proposed in that.
First of all, I would like to clarify one matter. In the statement it is said that 600 units employ around 2.50 lakh workers. It is not correct. The dyeing and bleaching factories alone do not employ so much of workers. They employ only 20,000 workers. Only when you include the workers who are working in the 5,000 hosiery units, the number of workers will come to two and half lakhs.
I would like to request, through you, the Government of India and the Tamil Nadu Government that they should share the expenses involved in the installation of effluent treatment plants.
This is my humble request because bleaching, dyeing and hosiery units are generally tiny, small and medium industries. Therefore, the Central Government should do something in this matter.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Shri K.C. Palanisamy, you can ask for a clarificatory question.
*SHRI K.C. PALANISAMY (KARUR): Sir, as regards to the closure of dyeing and bleaching units in Tiruppur, the hosiery town known for knitting industry, I would like to reiterate whatever that has been stated by my esteemed colleague Shri Subbarayan while calling the attention of this august House and also of the Union Government. Sir, when our leader Dr Kalaignar Karunanidhi was at the helm of affairs in the Government of Tamil Nadu, 25% subsidy was given to the processing units to set up effluent treatment plants. As the installation costs for *Translation of the speech originally delivered in Tamil.
these plants especially the setting up of reverse osmosis plants are not cost effective. They have not been set up fully. Tiny and small processing units cannot afford this heavy expenditure. The total effluent level per day is 5 crore litres and the cost for treating them will be more than Rs 50 crore and hence it becomes prohibitive. When the hosiery units export annually Rs 6000 crore worth of knitwear and pay taxes to both the State and Central Governments, the Governments themselves must come forward to set up common effluent plants sharing 50:50 and selecting clusters of units. Hence I would like to know from the hon. Minister whether the Government will ensure setting up of centralised common effluent treatment plants to benefit the hosiery units and knitting industry, thereby helping thousands of workers and their families who will be hit hard by the closure of processing units and the resultant closure of hosiery units?
SHRI A.V. BELLARMIN (NAGERCOIL): When Tirupur units are exporting and earning more than Rs.6000 crore annually and when Rs. 1800 crore and more is paid in the form of taxes, it is unfortunate that the Textile Ministry, on its own, has not come forward to help hosiery and related dyeing units by way of creating centralized effluent treatment plants in the interest of clothing and apparel industry and also the knitting sector workers, their family members and the rural population nearby. Hence, I want to know from the Textile Minister why there was no initiative from the Textile Ministry when this problem has been persisting for quite some time. It is found that the Department of Industrial Policy had nearly apprised an assistance of Rs. 50 crore only for industrial super-structure upgradation scheme.
Now, considering the gravity of the situation when 3.5 lakh of workers are losing jobs, 660 dyeing units are closed and thousands of hosiery units are facing closure, will the Government of India come forward with a relief measure? That is my question.
MR. CHAIRMAN: Shri V.P. Singh - only a clarificatory question.
SHRI VIJAYENDRA PAL SINGH (BHILWARA): I have a very specific question. Is it not a fact that most of the effluent plants that you are talking about are more expensive than even the processed houses and the dyeing plants? So, they will not be able to afford them. If they are not in a cluster, you cannot have a common effluent plant. Then, what is the solution to it?
The second question that I want to ask the Minister is that you have a Pollution Board in all the States, and they give NOCs. Are they really doing their job and what is the solution to all this[mks34] ?
Because, the effluent and the pollution of the waters in that area is so much that it creates a lot of disaster in that area. There is no solution. Mr. Minister, you must have a solution to it. So far, there are no solutions that have really come forward.
With these words, I conclude.
MR. CHAIRMAN : Now, the hon. Minister can reply.
श्री शंकर सिंह वाघेला : सभापति जी, पॉल्यूशन कंट्रोल करने का काम टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री की पैरिफरी में नहीं आता है। जो स्टेट पाल्यूशन कंट्रोल बोर्ड होते हैं जो इसको कंट्रोल करने का काम करते हैं, वे देखते ही नहीं है कि पानी सही जाता है या नहीं। चेन्नई हाई कोर्ट में किसान लोग गए इसलिए स्टे आया है। इसमें टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री बीच में नहीं आती है। हमने पूरा इनफ्रास्ट्रक्चर डैवलप करने के लिए टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री ने आज तक एपेरल पाक्र्स और टीसीआईडीएस दो स्कीमें इंप्लीमैंट कीं। एक में १७ करोड़ रुपये दिये जाते थे और दूसरे में २० करोड़ रुपेय दिये जाते थे। इसमें एफ्लुएंट प्लांट भी आ जाते हैं। मैं रिकार्ड पर कहना चाहता हूं कि अभी तक किसी ने नहीं कहा है कि टैक्सटाइल मनिस्ट्री इसमें हमारे काम में आए। १७ मई २००५ को तिरुपुर एक्सपोर्टर्स असोसियेशन की ओर से कुछ पैसे मांगे गए हैं जो हमारे पव्र्यू में नहीं आते हैं। फिर भी महने इसमें ११ करोड़ विंड मिल के लिए दिये हैं। ९ करोड़ रुपये और भी हम अगर वह चाहेंगे तो देंगे। ५० करोड़ रुपये इंस्टाल्ड पाल्यूशन कंट्रोल मद्रास के लिए दिये गये हैं जिसमें से २५ करोड़ रुपये रिलीज किये गये हैं। हमारे मनिस्टर ए. राजा जो एनवायर्नमैंट मंत्रालय देखते हैं, वे तमिलनाडु के हैं। मेरी उनसे बात हुई कि राज्य सरकार जो भी करती है, ठीक है। एनवायर्नमैंट मनिस्टर के साथ बैठकर इनके मंत्रालय की ग्रांट में से और हमारे मंत्रालय की ग्रांट में से हमारे सामने कोई प्रोजेक्ट रखेंगे तो उसको हम सिम्पेथैटिकली कंसिडर करेंगे।
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15.52 hrs. MATTERS UNDER RULE 377