India: 'Dombivli textile processing cluster is investing in upgrading facilities'

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India: 'Dombivli textile processing cluster is investing in upgrading facilities'

Dombivli textile processing cluster is moving towards value-addition, the units in the industrial belt are scouting for appropriate technology, Indian and foreign. In an exclusive interview with Reena Mital, Hardeep Singh Bubber, Director, Bishen Dyeing, Printing & Weaving Mills, and Rajeev Jalan, President, Maharashtra Textile Processors' Association speak about the state of the Dombivli textile processing cluster.

How is the Dombivli textile processing belt performing?

The industry here is doing quite well today. We cater largely to the domestic market, some exports are happening to the Middle East and Africa, and some of us have also started to work with garment exporters. We are trying to move up the value-chain. We are doing this by constantly upgrading our facilities. Almost every unit in the belt is going in for upgradation, modernization, expansion.From being hand-processors, we have moved to becoming power processors.

In what areas has the upgradation happened?

From fuel based system, we moved to coal-fired steam boilers, etc. We converted a lot of the existing hand processing machines, to power processing. As hand-processors, we were restricted to lighter fabrics, now we have also moved into heavier fabrics.A number of units in the belt have invested in machines from Yamuna, Harish, etc. We have installed energy efficient machines, continuous bleaching lines, bigger dyeing jiggers. Dombivli was known for screen printing, and most of us thus had the huge screen printing tables, and the space to go for it. Now, we have removed these tables, and installed flatbed machines, rotary machines.

Dombivli textile processing belt has also invested in a common effluent treatment plant. How is this running?

We invested very early in the CETP, in 2003-04, as government pressure towards clean production was increasing, and we realized that this would become essential in the future.Operated by the Dombivli Better Environment Systems Association, I will say that this is one of the few CETPs that is really operating and delivering results. It is not a sham operation. The results of the treated water are available online. Over the years, we have been upgrading the CETP technology, have installed bio-reactors, and are planning to increase capacity further. A delegation from Bangladesh has visited the plant too.It has been a learning process and a challenge too, because we are also treating water from the chemical plants in Dombivli. And these plants have very high load of COD and BOD, etc. volumes are smaller, but water is heavily polluted. Our water volumes are large, but are not loaded with pollutants.

This kind of dilutes the pollutants of the water discharged in the CETP, and we are able to meet the desired standards.We have been able to implement this successfully with the help of MIDC and the pollution control board.The CETP is now running at full capacity, and we have stopped giving new expansions of water lines to our members. We are planning to increase capacity by around 4 million litres per day, current capacity is 16 mld. We are further modernizing the CETP to treat heavy chemicals. The plant currently can treat water with 1600 COD, we will take this up to 2200 COD.

Why did the Dombivli cluster feel the need to move into this segment so early? Even today, many CETPs are installed only because the legislation demands it…

Like I said, there was governmental pressure, without CETP the units faced closure. But also, it makes common sense today. It is part of corporate social responsibility. Dombivli has become a thriving residential area, we have residences very close to our plants, it is not even thinkable to leave acids and other untreated waters in the gutters, etc. We are lucky that MIDC gave us a proper channelling system, and the requisite area for the CETP. The initial technology we had was not so good, we could not meet the standards. With the help of MPCB and others, we were able to upgrade technology, with the pollution control board recognizing that we were making a genuine effort.

Textile processing is a water intensive activity. What steps has the cluster taken in water conservation?

The cost of water is prohibitive, so we are forced to conserve water, recycle and reuse water to the extent possible. But, there is still a lot of work needed in water conservation. Rainwater harvesting is being done to some extent, due to which water bills go down substantially, during monsoons. As we adopt better technologies, there would be more progress made in water conservation and reuse.

Technology wise, where does Dombivli processing sector stand?

We still lag in technology. Dombivli caters to the local market, we are largely job workers, some of us export to the Middle East and Africa. Here, demand for quality is increasing, but is still below the levels of the western markets. Now some processors have started to cater to the requirements of the garment exporters, for which they need to meet the high standards of the US and EU. In fact, one unit in the belt is investing heavily, as it targets the Japanese market, which is even more difficult than the US or the European markets.This trend shows that technology adoption is improving in the Dombivli processing sector. In my unit (Bishen Dyeing), over the last few years, I have been installing new equipment, small or big, almost every month.

How do you think the RR-TUFS will help the processing sector, which has not availed of the funds to the extent of say, the spinning sector?

TUFS has been a big boost for modernizing the textile industry, enabling us to raise funds at cheaper rates of interest. The processing sector has lagged somewhat for a number of reasons - land area required for setting up a unit is much larger, investment in land and building for a processing unit is very high, pollution control is very strict. It is easier to put up a spinning plant, comparatively.The African market has also spoilt us, with the volumes they give us. A garment exporter may talk of 10000-20000 meters of high quality fabric, an African buyer orders 2-3 containers, and quality requirements are not that high. We believe that as garment exports pick up, demand for local fabric will improve, spurring investments in weaving and processing.

International buying community, and even the Indian government is pushing for Zero Discharge of Hazardous Waste. Is this achievable? And is the Roadmap deadline of 2020 achievable?

Zero discharge is a very tough call. Tirupur tried to achieve this, but has not been too successful. This becomes even more difficult in land-locked areas, where processors are given permissions to put up plants only on condition of zero discharge. Without the technology and knowhow for this, it will be difficult for the industry.

What policies do you expect from the government for smooth functioning and growth of the sector?

Inputs costs for us have been increasing substantially. Dyestuffs prices have gone up 250% in the last 4-6 months. Labor costs have been increasing, labor is in short supply. High inflation is affecting demand for goods, including textiles. The government needs to reign in inflation, bring out policies that stabilize prices, and most important is labor law reforms