GUWAHATI, Oct 16 Tea industry does not pose any threat to the environment. It does not generate much waste. A significant portion of its waste is being re-used in some way or the other. However, the industry should take up certain measures or actions, which may be useful in improving and maintaining the environmental performance of the industry, says the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) of the country in a recent report.
Commenting on the air pollution caused by tea industry, the report says the diesel generator sets of the industry are the sources of air pollution. These generator sets are operated during the periods of power failure. The CPCB has recommended use of low sulphur fuel for combustion purpose in the diesel generator sets, use of tall stack and avoiding frequent start-up and shutdown of these generators.
Though the tea industry is a dry industry, liquid waste of domestic nature is generated in the township and labour lines of the tea gardens. A small amount of liquid waste is also generated from the domestic sector in the industry, says the report.
In fact, the wastewater so generated may be treated in septic tanks. Partially treated effluent from the septic tanks should either be disposed off in soak pits or to be further treated in up-flow anaerobic filter (UFAF), it says, adding, the treated effluent from the UFAF could be discharged into any inland surface water or can be used for gardening purpose, says the CPCB.
In matters of solid waste management, the CPCB says, the tea plants provide some green manure from leaf-fall. The leaves of the shade trees also form green manure. The waste from factories amounts to about two per cent of the total production. Currently it is either returned to the field as fertiliser or sold at a very low price.
The products that can be produced from tea waste are - caffeine, polyphenols (valuable anti-oxidants), pigments (edible colours), polymers (tea polyphenols can be used to replace some of the phenol in phenol formaldehyde resins), animal feeds (under investigation), foaming agent, vinegar and tea seed oil (alternative to groundnut and olive oils for cooking, cosmetics and pharmaceuticals), among others, the report says.
In matters of overall management of the environmental aspects related with the tea industry, the CPCB says the industry may take up measures to improve the environmental performance of the industry such as practising good house keeping and maximum re-circulation or re-use of the wastes, conservation of domestic water. The quality control laboratory of the industry should monitor the residues of pesticides in finished tea.
It has further said, plastics used for packaging in the industry should be of food grade in nature. Tea industries may try to use food grade jute bags instead of odourless jute bags as are used currently. Attempts should be made to use organic fertilizers and pesticides. Attempt should also be made to optimise the use of fertilizers and pesticides during tea production.
