UP sugar mills invested Rs 600 crore for pollution control in last 2 years

Ethanol production would need more investment towards 'green' steps

In backdrop of environmental issues gaining currency, private sugar millers in Uttar Pradesh, the country’s top sugarcane producer, have invested nearly Rs 600 crore towards pollution control measures in the last 2 years.

“Sugar industry has collectively invested Rs 500-600 crore since 2017 towards effluent treatment and ensuring our plants do not discharge polluted water, and we are ready to invest more if required,” UP Sugar Mills Association (UPSMA) president C B Patodia said here today.

Of total 119 sugar mills in UP, the private sector account for the majority of 94 units, followed by 24 cooperative sugar factories and