POSSIBILITIES OF IMPROVING THE EXISTING INDUSTRIAL ECOLOGY IN INDIA

Abstract

Rapid industrialization in the past few decades have left behind a serious impact on the environment. Developing countries like India and China have been seeing a high economic development adding more burden to the “Mother Nature”. Since the Stockholm Convention in 1972, the major focus has always been the environment. Many conventions and concepts were developed to reduce the impact. One such concept named “Industrial Ecology” developed in the 1980’s to minimize the impact created by the industries on the environment. This mainly aimed at interconnecting the industries by bypassing the wastes of one industry which can be used by the other industry thereby minimizing the dumping on to land and discharge in to water bodies causing environmental pollution otherwise. The research is aimed at analyzing the possibilities of improving the existing industrial ecology in India by studying on a group of sectors namely A Paper & Pulp Industry, A Sugar Industry and Agriculture sector located in Tamil Nadu. Reviewing on the existing models of industrial symbiosis all over the globe like Kalundborg in Denmark, Kawasaki in Japan, Kwinana and Gladstone in Australia. In the same time looking in to the current problems faced by industries spread across India, A Material Flow Analysis and Substance Flow Analysis was conducted in the industrial group under study. An account of water, energy, effluent water was made and a few policy recommendations were been made which are further discussed in the thesis in detail. Hence this study was drawn to a conclusion that the possibilities of improving the Industrial Ecology in India are quiet high.