TERI develops technology of end-to-end treatment of waste water to achieved zero discharge

The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) has developed an end-to-end treatment of industrial waste water to achieve zero liquid discharge.

Zero liquid discharge (ZLD) is a treatment process for removing all liquid waste from a system. The focus of ZLD is to economically reduce waste water and produce clean water that is suitable for reuse and beneficial for the environment.

The treatment technology has been developed by TERI fellow and scientist Nupur Bahadur which involves integrated approaches involving nanotechnology in combination with advanced oxidation processes.

"This innovation offers clean, green, sludge free and highly resource and energy efficient process," Bahadur said on Wednesday, noting that the technology is at pilot stage and ready for field implementation.

The Central Pollution Control Board, in 2015, introduced the concept of ZLD for highly polluting industries.

Bahadur said that other than economic feasibility, one of the main reasons for the delay in implementation of the ZLD scheme in highly polluting industries is attributed to the lack of technologies developed for complete treatment of waste water.

The treatment technology and procedure was presented at an event attended by Paritosh Tyagi, former chairman of the Central Pollution Control Board.

Tyagi stressed on the need for pollution bodies to indulge in development of innovative technologies and said bodies like the CPCB should try to strengthen its research and training wing.

"The mistrust has also come in the way of preventing bodies from carrying out research and steps should be taken to remove that mistrust," he said.