(a) whether the Government has taken any measures to curb the
environment related irregularities being committed by the liquor
manufacturing companies;
(b) if so, the details of inspections carried out in these
companies during the last three years; and
(c) the details of irregularities noticed by the Government
during inspections alongwith action taken thereon?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS
(SHRIMATI JAYANTHI NATARAJAN)
(a) As per the Charter on Corporate Responsibility for Environmental
Protection (CREP), 2003, Molasses based Distilleries have to comply with
any or combination of the following measures for control of pollution:
1. Composting with press mud.
2. Concentration and drying/ incineration of spent-wash.
3. Treatment of spent wash through bio-methanation followed by two
stage secondary treatment and dilution of the treated effluent with process
water for irrigation as per norms prescribed by Central pollution Control
Board (CPCB)/Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).
4. Treatment of spent-wash through bio-methanation followed by secondary
treatment for controlled discharge into sea through a proper submerged marine
outfall at a point permitted by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB)/CPCB
in consultation with the National Institute of Oceanography.
Further, in June 2008, the CPCB has asked existing distilleries
(both standalone and those attached with sugar units) not complying with
the required environmental standards to switch over to emerging technologies
(evaporation, concentration, incineration of spent wash for power generation)
from the existing technologies of composting, ferti-irrigation and one time
land application of spent wash in a time bound manner.
Further in 2010, the CPCB has drafted guidelines for the co-processing
of spent wash concentrate of Distilleries in Cement Kilns.
(b)&(c) The CPCB has undertaken inspection of distilleries under its
Environmental Surveillance Squad (ESS) Programme. Distilleries found
to be significantly violating the prescribed effluent norms/guidelines
were issued directions. In most of the cases, distilleries were found
storing accumulated spent wash in lagoons more than the prescribed storage
capacity. The details of inspections carried and action taken thereon
during the last three years are given at Annexure.