The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) will work with research institutions such as Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, and Anna University to set up a technology demonstration centre at Rs.5 crore in the city, said B.V. Ramanaa, Minister for Environment.

Inaugurating a workshop on ‘Onshore petroleum spills’ at IIT-M on Tuesday, he said the advance in technology and rapid industrialisation in the State has resulted in increased effluent discharge and air pollution causing environmental challenges to the industries and monitoring agencies.

Elaborating further, C.V. Sankar, principal secretary, Environment and Forests, told reporters that new industries were being formed unlike earlier days when it was mostly water and air pollution for which there were laws for prevention.

The objective of the demonstration centre was to take the help of academic institutions and research institutions like IIT-M, Central Leather Research Institute (CLR) and Anna University who were involved in collaborative research with national and international institutions. The industries certainly know, say for instance, like how to achieve zero liquid discharge in dyeing units. The research institutions could contribute with their knowledge of latest technological processes, be it chemical or biological, and explain to industries ways of preventing pollution, Mr. Sankar said.

Recently, CLRI developed a technology to reduce salt usage in tanneries.

The process is mostly done manually and research could help the industry reduce salt at the same time preserve rawhide, he said adding that a suitable location was being identified in the city for the centre. IIT-M director Bhaskar Ramamurthi said it could not purely be a demonstration centre but should have research components.

source: http://www.TheHindu.com / News>  States> TamilNadu / by Special Correspondent / Chennai, February 08th, 2012