Tata Chemicals' Mithapur plant shows how innovative technologies help improve the quality of life of the local community without adversely affecting the environment

Tata Chemicals' Mithapur plant and the township attached to it are both ISO 14001-certified. The plant, one of the largest and oldest in India, has instituted several programmes and processes to prevent environmental damage, conservation of natural resources and safety.

TCL's chemicals division supports the nation's energy-conservation efforts by participating in initiatives such as the Corporate Roundtable on Environment (CoRE), under the auspices of the Tata Energy Research Institute, New Delhi, and the World Council for Sustainable Development, besides Responsible Care, an initiative launched by the global chemicals industry.

The environment management system (EMS) department of the plant regularly monitors various environmental parameters and ensures regulatory compliance.

The effectiveness of Mithapur's integrated safety, health and environment (SHE) management system is verified regularly by internal and third-party auditors. A core committee on environmental management, headed by a senior executive, meets every fortnight to review environmental issues and fine-tune policies and strategies.

In accordance with TCL's SHE policy, the Mithapur plant has not only produced potable water from seawater in this water-scarce area, it also recycles water to a zero-discharge sewage-treatment plant.

The company's cement plant in Mithapur is an excellent example of its philosophy: 'avoid, reduce and recycle'. The cement plant consumes solid waste that is generated during the manufacture of soda ash.

Through a pilot programme called the Effluents Solids Filtration (ESF) project, TCL will further reduce the use of chemical-grade limestone in cement manufacture by recovering solids from the still effluents of the soda-ash process.

TCL's community development initiatives cover a large number of villages situated near the complex. The Mithapur plant has adopted the nearby marine sanctuary which it looks after.

Water management
An acute water shortage in the 1960s had rendered Mithapur virtually uninhabitable. Under the Tatas' visionary leadership, TCL implemented a water-management programme which has made the town independent in terms of water resources. The fact that this large complex is not dependent on anybody for its freshwater needs is a testimony to its innovation. Tata Salt, the largest-selling branded salt in India, is a by-product of Mithapur's water-management process.

Recycling treated sewage
Built on the principle of 'zero discharge', the sewage treatment plant in Mithapur is designed to treat and recycle 3 million litres of sewage a day.

Refuse from bathrooms, toilets and kitchens is collected in centralised sewage-aggregation tanks and pumped into the treatment plant according to the demand-and-supply needs of the township's utilities.

The water is disinfected through chlorination and monitored for its quality. The solid remains of the treatment plant are rich in organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous. This waste is composted and used as substrates for horticulture.

The treated water is routed back to the township's flush-pumping station and is also used to maintain the gardens and greenery on the campus.

Efforts are on to improve the quality of the sewage-treatment plant's sludge by utilising composting technologies developed by the Tata Energy Research Institute.

The cement plant
The waste-utilisation plant at the Mithapur cement plant is an outstanding example of its philosophy of 'Avoid, reduce and recycle'. TCL is the only soda ash company to develop a process for separating solids from soda ash effluent and to subsequently use them in a cement plant.

Every day, the 1,500 TPD Portland Pozzolona cement plant consumes undersize waste limestone from the soda ash plant, fly ash from the power plant, old alkaline solid wastes and soda ash effluents. TCL is currently engaged in extensive trials to improve upon this process to further protect the environment, utilise waste and enhance energy efficiency.

Infrastructure and investment costs on the integration process were low since the cement plant was built using existing facilities at Mithapur, which facilitated its design, engineering and fabrication, all in-house. Efforts are now on to substitute coal with Kutch lignite as fuel, which is available locally.

Effluents Solids Filtration (ESF) project
In accordance with regulatory norms, the still effluents from the soda ash plant are currently disposed in the sea at Padli. However, the company has discovered a method for processing and recovering some of the solids. Under the Effluent Solids Filtration (ESF) project, the company will use these solids as raw material in the cement plant to reduce the consumption of limestone.

EMS in the township
Motivated by the systematic approach adopted by the plant in the implementation of EMS as per the ISO-14001 framework, the Mithapur township uses the same approach to achieve sustainable environment management.

The township has about 18,000 residents, 2,500 households, 250 commercial establishments, a 150-bed hospital, a bank and six schools. It has all essential amenities, such as electricity, water supply, garbage-disposal systems, sanitation and medical services, roads and parks.

The EMS implementation in the township involves the participation of all stakeholders, including residents, staff from the hospital, schools and other institutions. In a pioneering move, representatives from each sector constitute a core group which identifies the scope of the EMS and how their own activities can impact the environment.

A residents' guide for conservation demonstrates how to save water, fuel, etc, alongside energy consumption figures and tips on improving efficiency. Twilight switches for streetlights, the gradual elimination of the use of seawater for flushing and the total replacement of inorganic fertilisers with organic compost are some of the key targets.

The EMS initiative also seeks to involve the members of the township to share knowledge and resources.

Community development
TCL has institutionalised an exemplary social-responsibility programme in Mithapur to facilitate community development in and around its production unit. This programme extends to hundreds of villages.

Over the years the company has helped capacity building in various charitable trusts and organisations involved in community development, environment protection, education and sports.

In 1980 this concern for social development led to the establishment of the Tata Chemicals Society for Rural Development (TCSRD), which has as its objectives the promotion and growth of the rural economy, the development of facilities for public education and the socio- economic welfare and progress of the rural population. TCSRD's activities benefited more than 1 lakh people in 2002.

A natural habitat
Spread over 37,000 acres, the company's salt works play host to thousands of migratory birds. During the winter months the place turns into a bird-watcher's paradise, with flamingos and herons flocking to the pans.

Since the plant is located close to a marine sanctuary spread over an area of nearly 500 sq km on the southern coast of the Gulf of Kutch, the company considers it its responsibility to care for the sanctuary and its park.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources (IUCN) has declared this sanctuary as Category II among the national parks of the world. The sanctuary and park are home to some of the finest coral reefs on India's west coast, some fringed by mangrove forests which are, in turn, nesting and roosting sites for countless birds.

Their limestone fortresses — each one the work of a colony of innumerable tiny animals — come in an amazing variety of shapes and sizes. The waters of the gulf are home to the dolphin, the octopus, the fin-less porpoise, the dugong sea cow, a marine mammal which resembles a seal, and the rare Boralia species.

The company also undertakes special drives, like the recent Project 'Whale Shark' at Mithapur, to spread awareness among the locals on the indigenous wildlife and conservation efforts.