Surat: Performance assessment of environmental infrastructure

Surat, located on the banks of the river Tapi, is a known hub for the textile and diamond industries. A large number of micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in Surat are located in the industrial estates developed by the Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), a government undertaking which provides developed land and infrastructure for the establishment of industrial units. Additionally, there are a few industrial estates developed by private companies, like the Gujarat Eco Textile Park Ltd. (GETPL), which accommodate some of the textile sector’s industrial units. Many of the small industrial units are scattered all across the city. The industries located in the industrial estates are members of common effluent treatment plants (CETPs) whereas those scattered in the city discharge into the municipal sewerage system. The Hazira industrial belt—which is right on the coast and is also a port—is home to a number of large-scale modern industries which have their own individual effluent treatment plants (ETPs) and discharge the treated effluents directly into the sea.

In the previous chapter, we have seen that the quality of creeks receiving industrial discharges is poor. This questions the performance of the pollution control facilities set up to treat industrial effluents. In this chapter, we have analysed the performance of CETPs in Surat which treat a large amount of the industrial effluents generated. The purpose is to see if there is a link between the poor quality of the creeks receiving industrial discharges and the performance of the CETPs.

Data and methodology

The data and methodology adopted to assess the performance of environmental infrastructure for this chapter is the same as that followed for Ahmedabad.

Unpublished data from the GPCB has been used for the analysis in this chapter, unless otherwise specified. Even in Surat, the data was not shared by the GPCB and an application under the Right to Information (RTI) Act had to be filed. In contrast to Ahmedabad, the study area in Surat needs to be extended beyond Surat City, as only one GIDC with a CETP falls within the city limits, whereas all the other industrial areas and the CETPs are located within the Surat Urban Development Area (SUDA) boundary. To assess the performance of the pollution control facilities, the time-series monthly data for six years (2011—17) has been compared with the standards prescribed by the regulatory authority under environmental legislation.

Polluting industries in Surat

The polluting industries in Surat (registered up to 31 March 2019) are presented in Table 10.1. Polluting industries (red category) and industries belonging to the small-scale segment form 56 per cent of the registered polluting units, and the total number of small-scale polluting units (including orange and red categories) form 76 per cent of the registered polluting units. In other words, small-scale units constitute a major part of the polluting units.

For the constraints faced by the MSMEs, as stated in the earlier chapters, there is no other option but to opt for common facilities to treat industrial effluents. The industrial effluents, after being treated in the CETPs, are discharged into one of the creeks—a typical characteristic of coastal Surat. The industries which are scattered within Surat city, discharge their treated/untreated effluents into either the sewerage network or the storm water drainage which finally empty into one of the creeks. However, it is not possible to segregate the share of the industrial effluents from these discharges. The location of industrial areas, the common facilities for effluent treatment and the monitoring points for checking water quality have been shown in Figure 9.1. It can be seen that most of these are located along one creek

TABLE 10.1 Polluting industrial units in Surat (as on 31 March 2019)

Source: Unpublished data from GPCB.

Note: Industrial units are classified into large, medium and small categories based on investment, as per the definition given under the Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSME) Act, 2006. The CPCB classifies the industries into red, orange and green categories based on their pollution potential. Red means the most polluting, orange means a medium amount of polluting and green refers to the least polluting industries. The same classification is followed by the GPCB.

or the other. These creeks finally flow into the Gulf of Khambhat and then meet the Arabian Sea. This is unlike the situation in Ahmedabad, where all the STPs and discharge points of the conveyance pipelines carrying industrial effluents are located downstream of Ahmedabad on the Sabarmati.