Baghouse dust filters can minimise industrial emissions: BCC&I

Concerned with growing industrial air pollution, the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCC&I) has suggested the industries to install 'Baghouse Dust Filters' in order to cut down industrial emissions.

"While industrial growth is integral to the growth of the nation, putting right policies and norms for combating pollution by the government is absolutely imperative to the overall health of the nation," Deb A Mukherjee, Chairman, Energy Committee, BCC&I, said.

"The Energy Committee have been making continuous efforts through numerous forums, platforms and conclaves to ideate, discuss and invite all solutions concerning building up of clean energy practices, effective transport choices, correct industrial practices as they all contribute to the air quality of our environment," Mukherjee said.

Industries like steel, aluminium, cement and glass are now required to ensure that their emissions level meet the standard of particulate matter at below 10 mg per cubic meter.

The chief contributors of air pollution are industries that use combustible processes that cause gaseous emissions, apart from automobile emissions and construction projects, he said.

Baghouse dust filters can serve to minimize the particulate matter as a result of industrial emissions of cement, glass and steel plants.

In this technology, inside a casing there are filtering elements made of textile or fabric felt with the correct pitch for having the correct ascension velocity.

Air flows through the bags, the dust contained in the air stays on outside and the clean air then flows through inside.

"We welcome companies like Ekoplant who are offering state of the art technology at a reasonable costs", Mukherjee said.

Stressing the need to check industrial emissions and improve environment for the safety of entire population, Chairman of the West Bengal Pollution Control Board (WBPCB), Dr Kalyan Rudra, said they have also taken serious note about the threat to the environment.

"We (WBPCB) have stipulated guidelines and we see whether standards are being maintained by the industries and problems are contained," Dr Rudra said.

Sustainable solutions that can aide industrial development keeping pollution levels within limits have slowly started taking shape through technological innovations and collaborations as witnessed recently with the setting up of bag house filters unit at JSWs Dolviand Vijayanagar steel plant by the Italian MSME EKOPLANT, Mukherjee added.

It meets specific industrial needs at cost effective rates that would encourage more and more industries to adopt this safe technology to combat industrial dust emissions.

"With the use of low pressure, the filters are put under less stress and therefore, we can guarantee a longer lifetime," claimed Marco Gramigna, the EKOPLANT Managing Director.