4.

Summary Of Case Studies

F
IVE CASE STUDIES ARE PRESENTED in the following chapters. Each
of them illustrates in a specific way the relevance and utility of the
Industrial Ecology perspective. All the studies were undertaken during
the period 1996–1998. Although the data have not been updated, the core issues
remain unchanged over the years. Updating the data would not dramatically alter
the key issues in the cases presented here. For the convenience of the reader, a
summary of the case studies is given in this chapter. Figure 4.1 indicates the sites
of the case studies in various parts of India.
The studies (except the one of the Damodar Valley region) were designed and
directed by Ramesh Ramaswamy, Technology Exchange Network (TEN), India,
within a network, Industrial Ecology Praxis, launched and coordinated by Suren
Erkman, Director of the Institute for Communication and Analysis of Science and
Technology (ICAST), Geneva. The network has the objective of disseminating,
testing and implementing the new ideas in Industrial Ecology at an international
level. The main support for this network, since its inception in 1995, comes from
the Charles Leopold Mayer Foundation, in Paris, in the framework of a global
initiative, The Alliance for a Responsible, Plural and United World (http://
www.alliance21.org). The initial funding for two of the case studies was from
the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation.

4.1 Case Study of the Textile Industry in Tirupur

Tirupur is a major center for the production of knitted cotton hosiery. The town is
located in the south of India and has a population of about 300,000. The 4,000
small units in the town specialize in different aspects of the manufacturing process.
The aggregate annual value of production in the town is around US $ 828 million.
Much of the produce is exported bringing in very valuable foreign exchange.
Till about the 1980s, for decades, the center was mainly manufacturing white
undershirts called banians, which are commonly worn in India. The industry then
F I G U R E 4.1
Sites of the Case Studies

elhi
wD
Ne

I N D I A Tropic of Ca n cer

Ko Haora
lka
ta

BAY
Mumbai OF
BENGAL

Hyderabad
ARABIAN
SEA
ANDAMAN

Bangalore Leather Belt of Tamil Nadu

Chennai
Seshasayee
(INDIA)

Paper Industry
AND

Tirupur
LAKS(INDIA)
HADW

NICO
EEP

BAR
ISL

INDIAN OCEAN
AN
DS
 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES 37

discovered the lucrative international market for colored T-shirts, which led to a
boom in exports. This enormous growth in the production of colored textiles, led
to an increase in the dyeing operations in the town.
Water is scarce in the area and the wet processing of textiles (particularly dyeing)
has rendered the groundwater unusable. A large quantity of salt is used in the
dyeing process and the process wastewater (90 million liters per day) is highly
saline and is contaminated with a variety of dyes and chemicals. As there is hardly
any other source of freshwater nearby, trucks bring in water from groundwater
sources (which are yet to be polluted) as far as 50 km away at an enormous cost.
A massive US$ 30 million project is under way to treat the wastewater at a common
effluent treatment facility. After such expensive treatment, the water will still be
unusable, as the facility does not include any system for desalination of the
wastewater.
A detailed Resource Flow Analysis (RFA) was carried out for the town. Only when
the figures were aggregated did the industrialists realize that they were collectively
spending over US$ 7 million annually on buying water and in addition, the annual
maintenance cost of the effluent treatment plant would be an enormous burden.
Since water is used at so many different points and the industrialists had
internalized the cost of buying water in their operations, neither the total volume
of water used in the town nor the amount of money collectively spent by the
industry in buying water, was immediately obvious. An RFA for the town made
the industry aware of the magnitude of resources consumed.
These aggregate figures also showed that water could be recycled profitably. On
the basis of the study, a private entrepreneur developed a water recycling system,
which could be installed in each dyeing unit. The system used the waste heat
from the boilers already working in the dyeing units for the recycling process.
This is a relatively low cost system, which is gaining popularity in the town.
Similarly, since the use of the firewood is distributed over nearly 1,200 points, it
was not obvious that nearly 500,000 tonnes of firewood were being used. There is
grave concern over rapid deforestation in India. The possibility of setting up a
central steam source, with the option of solar preheating, was suggested as a way
to reduce the consumption of firewood.
 38 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES

Another outcome of the study was that it highlighted the fact that the calorific
value of the solid waste (garbage) was high as it contained large quantities of
textile and paper wastes. This could be used effectively to partially replace the
firewood being consumed in the town.
The case also illustrates the significance of the Industrial Ecology approach in the
context of a developing country. For many years a number of research and
development institutions have carried out pollution control studies in Tirupur to
minimize water use, minimize use of dyes and to improve the quality of the effluent.
There appear to be no studies aimed at evaluating the possibility of profitably
recycling the wastewater in the town, which should have been the first priority,
from the point of view of Industrial Ecology. Again, since water pollution was
seen as the only issue, no attempt appeared to have been made either to minimize
the use of scarce firewood or to leverage the high calorific value of the solid waste
in the town.

Focus
This study highlights the utility of an Industrial Ecology approach. It clearly
illustrates the use of an RFA to understand various material flows in an area and
use this for planning. The case also suggests an approach to a methodology for
data collection and analysis to aid decision-making.

4.2 Case Study of the Foundries in Haora

There are nearly 500 cast iron foundries in Haora, a suburb of Kolkata (formerly
Calcutta), in Eastern India. The air pollution from the foundries has been a source
of concern. The pollution control authorities have been insisting on the foundries
installing pollution control systems to mitigate the emissions. The poor health of
the engineering industry in the eastern region has affected the financial health of
the foundries here, which now subsist on manufacturing very low value-added
products like manhole covers.
Since pollution from the foundries was a major source of concern for the state
authorities and a matter of public debate, a number of agencies had launched
studies to develop and set up technologies and equipment for limiting the
air pollution.
 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES 39

One of the governmental research agencies had developed a process to use natural
gas instead of coke (the major cause of pollution) that the foundries were using.
This process was in an advanced stage of development. It was considered likely
that the environment protection authorities might insist on the foundries using
this new technology to eliminate the pollution problem. Since natural gas is not
available in the region, the use of this new technology could substantially increase
the cost of production and the foundries would not be competitive.
An RFA of the region showed that the industry could adapt the new technology to
use coke oven gases instead of natural gas. As the eastern region is a major coal-
producing area and as there are many independent coke ovens, coke oven gas is
easily available locally and is often wasted. Depending on the economics, either
the foundries could be relocated near the coke ovens or the coke oven gases could
be transported to the foundries.

Focus
The study highlights the relevance of an RFA to an industry planner, as it would
point to unused resources (by-products or wastes) in a region. The industry (or a
group of industries) could consider how they might leverage the availability of
any of these unused resources to their advantage and for their sustained operations.
This can be done by establishing new linkages between industries in different
sectors (like foundries and coke ovens), which is far from obvious, without an RFA
that helps in the detection of such resources in a systematic way.

4.3 Case Study of the Leather Industry in Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu, a state in the south of India, is the premier center in India for the
processing of leather. Water is scarce in Tamil Nadu.
India had traditionally been a major center for the export of hides and skins. In
the 1970s, the government of India banned the export of raw hides and skins with
a view to improving the value addition of production, and thereby enhancing the
inflow of scarce foreign exchange. Environmental issues were not considered
seriously in India those days.
40 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES

This boosted the leather processing activity in India in general and in Tamil Nadu
in particular. The industry is a major foreign exchange earner and important to
the economy of the state and the country. Meanwhile, compliance with strict
environment regulations has rendered the processing very expensive in the
developed world.
The leather industry (which is made up of thousands of small industries) is a
major user of water, as each tonne of hide/skin needs 30,000–50,000 liters of water
for processing. This is a large volume, as the average per capita water availability
for human settlements in India is estimated at around 30 liters per day.
The growth of the industry has resulted in extremely high water pollution in the
regions where the tanneries are concentrated.
The leather industry has been under pressure from the pollution control authorities
and many have subscribed to a central effluent treatment plant. The water after
treatment continues to be unusable, as it is very saline. The sludge from water
treatment continues to be a serious problem.
A detailed study in the context of Industrial Ecology helped in redefining the
problem which till then had been only viewed as a pollution control issue as the
effluents did not meet the specifications laid down by the law. Many academic
studies have been undertaken to ensure that the effluent quality comes as close
as possible to the standards using the best available technology.
However, the problem is much more serious. The tanneries are using a resource,
water, which is extremely scarce in the region. The industry is also contaminating
the groundwater resources of the local community, which is causing great hardship
to the population, as it is depriving them of desperately needed water. It will not
be long before the social pressure and the law courts bring the leather industry to
a halt.
In the context of Industrial Ecology, the first priority is to focus on the use of the
local resource, water. The local community cannot afford to spare water for the
industry. One option would be to relocate the tanneries along the coast, where
they could draw seawater instead of using valuable freshwater. If the industry is
unable to develop processes that can use seawater as it is, it will have to desalinate
the seawater for its use. The treated wastewater could be discharged into the sea,
as long as all pollutants other than salt are removed.
 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES 41

The study points to a new strategy option for sustainability of the leather industry
in the region.

Focus
The study gives an example of how a redefinition of a problem from a perspective
of resource-use could drastically alter the approach. This could lead to new possible
strategy options, more effective (and less costly) than traditional end-of-pipe
solutions.
The study also points to the need for industries or industry groups to carry out
studies on resource availability in the region, while establishing new plants or
expanding the present plants. This could be critical to their long-term survival
and their peaceful coexistence with the local community.

4.4 Case Study of a Corporate Paper–Sugar Complex

Industrial Ecology also offers the possibility of an alternate corporate planning
model. This is illustrated by the case of a paper company, Seshasayee Paper and
Boards Ltd (SPB), in Tamil Nadu. SPB started a paper mill, which went into
commercial production in 1962. In order to ensure regular supply of raw material,
a sugar mill was set up. The waste from the sugar mill (called bagasse) was used
as a raw material for paper-making. Another waste from the sugar mill, molasses,
was used in a distillery nearby for the production of ethyl alcohol. In order to
ensure regular supply of sugarcane for the sugar mill, the company took interest
in the cultivation of sugarcane by organizing the farmers in the region. The
company struck long-term agreements with the farmers to buy back their produce
and, in turn, took the responsibility of supplying them with water. Much of the
water supplied for cultivation was the treated wastewater from the paper
manufacturing operations. The company also used bagasse pith (a waste after the
paper making) and other combustible agricultural wastes in the region, as an
energy source in their captive power plant.

Focus
This case study highlights an alternate corporate planning model, which is
compatible with the concepts of Industrial Ecology. Usually, a company plans its
 42 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES

growth within a product-market matrix. It tries to define its business as specifically

as possible such that its energies in acquisition of capabilities and skills are clearly
focused. Many organizations would be reluctant to enter into areas unfamiliar to
them. Environmental issues are often seen as secondary to the main goals of the
company.
A model where a company sets up not one, but a complex of diverse industries,
where one industry uses the wastes of another, is a viable option for sustainable
industrial growth in developing countries. The case of SPB also shows that there is
a high potential for Industrial Ecology in rural areas, where integrated agro-
industrial complexes can benefit the local community through efficient use of
resources.

4.5 Case Study of the Damodar Valley Region

The basin of the River Damodar, in the eastern part of India, covers a vast area.
This mineral-rich region (near Kolkata) is the source of much of the coal produced
in India. Coal is a major energy source in the country. Many large power utilities
and steel plants are located here, in addition to industries associated with coal,
such as coal washeries and coke ovens. The region is considered very highly
polluted.
An industrial metabolism study was undertaken in the region. The quantities of
the flow of two of the major local resources, the waters of the River Damodar and
coal, were studied. The results of the study gave a good overview of how the
waters of the river and coal are used in the system
Since agriculture consumes nearly 85% of the waters of the river, it is critical to
estimate the impact on the agricultural produce, of the thousands of tonnes of
potentially toxic wastes dumped into the river, resulting from the high levels of
industrial activity upstream.
All along, to reduce the high levels of air pollution, the policy of the regulatory
authorities had been to focus on the “major” polluters, which in their opinion
were the steel and power plants. These plants have access to some of the best
available technologies for controlling their pollution.
 SUMMARY OF CASE STUDIES 43

However, a study of the flow of coal gave surprising results. Huge quantities of
coal are consumed in millions of homes and in the informal sector. In this sector,
coal is used in very inefficient combustion systems, obviously without any pollution
control systems, which makes the whole area extremely polluted. It was obvious
that if the air had to be clean, a new fuel policy would have to be evolved. Some
new systems of transportation of coal also need to be evolved to minimize the
spillages during transportation, a major contributor to the dust levels of the region.

Focus
This case highlights the importance of a quantitative study of the resource flows
in a region. Even a broad understanding of the flow of the resources serves as a
guide to the policy maker and gives a new perspective and a direction for
policy making.