By PTI

Mumbai: Sugar factories in Maharashtra, a leading producer of sugarcane in India, are all set to embrace new technologies and measures to drastically curb pollution.

“As a result of steps initiated by the factories at the behest of the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB), the rate of effluent production, which is now as much as 400 litres per tonne of crushed sugarcane, would come down to almost 100 litres”, a senior MPCB official told PTI.

The 160-odd sugar factories, whose managing directors and environmental and technical experts participated in a series of workshops conducted by the Board, have said the sugar industry, considered the backbone of the cooperative sector in the state, would strictly implement pollution norms.

The workshops were conducted at Nashik, Aurangabad, Pune and Sangli. MPCB officials said the factories, often accused of polluting water sources in their region, have decided to treat effluents and use them for irrigation.

One of the participants, New Mahesh Sugar Mill in Marathwada region, has adopted an innovative way to make the factory eco-friendly. “The technique devised by them would help reduce by half dissolution of oil and grease in plant water”, the official said.

The Board would undertake a follow-up exercise next month over implementation of suggestions given during the workshops, he said. Similar workshops would be undertaken for distilleries in the state, he said.