A matter of know-how: pollution reduction through training staff of effluent treatment plants

26 September 2017
A matter of know-how: pollution reduction through training staff of effluent treatment plants

Caption: Introduction round – Skill Development Programme for Technicians and Helpers of Industrial Wastewater Treatment Plants, August 2016
Copyright: GIZ

SEIP’s success on skilling operators and helpers of wastewater effluent treatment plants

A series of pilot trainings for operators of effluent treatment plants in industrial areas has proven successful in reducing water pollution and resource use. Addressing the largely unskilled labour force with theoretical and practical exercises covering preventive maintenance, appropriate chemical dosing, sampling methods, and record keeping has yielded promising first results.

“The training programme was truly based on the needs of technicians and supporting staff of ETPs/CETPs. It had been noted that the participants gained useful information provided in a tailor-made programme in order to effectively adopt in their ETPs. Earlier we observed that the lack of adequate skills among technicians and supporting staff adversely impacted ETP processes and operations.”, said Mr. Harindra Garg SIIDCUL Manufacturers Association of Uttarakhand (SMAU)

A major contributor to wastewater pollution levels is the electroplating industry. Traces of chemical substances end up in the wastewater. Further, large amounts of wet sludge containing toxic organics or metals is generated. During the GIZ-facilitated training, participants learned to adjust monitoring intervals of the wastewater from such an electroplating plant in an industrial park in Uttarakhand. By doing so, the usage of sodium bimetasulphate and caustic soda were both reduced by over 50% leading to an even higher cost decrease.

SEIP is working on the introduction of a market-based training system in cooperation with the Council for Green Jobs (SCGJ). This first-hand success demonstrates the potential effect that the introduction of a systematic training scheme for effluent treatment plant employees could have. Reducing pollution in such a manner bears the opportunity for long-term savings, increased efficiency, worker’s safety, and a cleaner environment without large capital investments being required.

“This skill development training session had not only given them an opportunity to absorb new technologies but also to provide solutions for betterment. I would definitely recommend other industrial enterprises to make maximum utilisation of such training programmes to train technicians and supporting staff so as to get ready for future stricter environmental compliance.”, added Mr. Harindra Garg.

About Sustainable Environment-friendly Industrial Production [SEIP]

SEIP is a joint project of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH and the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) within the framework of the Indo-German technical cooperation. SEIP works on industrial environmental management and focuses on environmental problems related to wastewater and waste management in industrial areas. In three selected states – Uttarakhand, Gujarat and Delhi – the project showcases sustainable technical solutions and business/management models on a pilot basis for subsequent upscaling and replication. The overall objective of the project is to enable private and public sector actors to jointly implement strategies to achieve an efficient, environment- and climate friendly industrial development.