Industries play an important role in economic development by
providing employment and useful
• products. However, industrial activities can also cause
environmental pollution. In zoology,
• studying the effect of industries is important because
pollution directly affects animals, there are
• habitats, and biodiversity.
• A local industry may include factories such as textile mills,
paper mills, sugar factories, chemical
• plants, or food processing units. Their wastes may enter
air, water bodies, or soil, disturbing
• ecological balance.
In nature, nothing exists alone.”
“
– Rachel Carson
1. Air Pollution: Industries release smoke, dust, and harmful gases
like sulphur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides. These pollutants can cause respiratory problems in
animals and humans.
2. Water Pollution: Industrial effluents discharged into rivers and
lakes reduce dissolved oxygen
and affect aquatic animals such as fish, frogs, and plankton.
3. Soil Pollution: Dumping of solid waste and chemicals reduces soil
fertility and affects
organisms like earthworms and insects.
“Pollution is
nothing but the resources we
are not harvesting.”
– R. Buckminster
Fuller
• Selected Industry:
Balrampur Chini Mills in Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra
• Location:
Typically located in rural or semi-urban areas close to
sugarcane farms.
• Source of Energy:
* Bagasse: This is the most important part! Sugar mills are
often self-sufficient. They burn the leftover sugarcane fiber
(bagasse) to create steam and electricity.
o Electricity:
Used during the "off-season" for maintenance.
• Raw Materials:
o Local:
Freshly harvested Sugarcane (must be processed quickly
after cutting).
o Processing Agents:
Lime (calcium hydroxide), Sulfur (for juice clarification),
and large amounts of Water.
• Product Formed:
Sugar – It is known worldwide that sugar is the most
common product derived from sugarcane. This sweet substance
can be found in various forms such as granulated, brown, and
powdered sugar. Sugar is used in a wide range of food products
and is a common ingredient in baked goods, candies, and
desserts.
o
Primary:
Refined White Sugar.
o By-products:
Molasses (used for ethanol/alcohol), Bagasse
(for paper or fuel), and Press-mud (used as organic
fertilizer (etc,.)
Medium Pollutants
Fly ash and soot from the bagasse-
Air fired boilers; Carbon Dioxide (carbon
dioxide).
High BOD (Biochemical Oxygen
Water Demand) and COD (Chemical
Oxygen Demand). If untreated, the
Medium Pollutants
"spent wash" can deplete oxygen in
local ponds, killing fish.
Solid waste like press-mud can be
beneficial in small amounts but can
Soil lead to nutrient imbalance if dumped
excessively in one spot.
Fermenting molasses can create a
Odour very strong, distinct smell in the
surrounding area.
(Pollution
Control Board)
To meet the Pollution Control Board standards,
sugar mills implement:
• Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP):
A mandatory system to treat wastewater before
it is released for irrigation or into water bodies.
• Wet Scrubbers:
Installed in chimneys to "wash" the smoke and
trap fly ash before it reaches the atmosphere.
• Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD):
Many modern mills now recycle 100% of their
water back into the cooling systems.
• Noise Control:
Using silencers on high-pressure steam vents
to protect workers and neighbours.
They usually only run for 5–7 months (the crushing
season), so their environmental impact is much higher in the winter
than in the summer.
Based on the study of the local sugarcane mill, it is evident that
while the industry is vital for the local economy and provides a
livelihood for thousands of farmers, it poses significant
environmental challenges—particularly regarding water pollution
(high BOD levels) and airborne fly ash.
However, the industry’s ability to use Bagasse as a renewable energy
source is a great example of a "circular economy." If the
management strictly follows the Pollution Control Board guidelines
by maintaining an efficient Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) and using