Interview with Mr. D K Singhal, Director, Chandpur Enterprises Ltd.
We are environmentally conscious in every facet of our operations. Pioneering sustainability, our waste paper recycling processes significantly curtail raw material demand and ecological impact.
Paper Desk : How much water is typically used in your paper mill’s production process, and how do you measure and monitor water usage across different stages of production?
D.K.Singhal : Being proactive since the beginning, our water consumption is much lower than the mandate. Presently, though we are producing quality grades of MG poster and Chromo paper, yet we are operating at to the tune of 4-5 kL/T of fresh water. The water abstracted from borewells is regularly monitored by having dedicated electromagnetic flowmeters.
PD : What technologies and strategies has your mill implemented to reduce water consumption effectively?
DKS : We have installed special Micro Filters from Europe to treat clarified paper machine backwater further and then use it in place of paper machine LP showers, which is a big source of fresh water consumption. In addition, up-gradation of other paper machine showers like robo shower for wire cleaning, micro-travel showers for felts are some other examples of our efforts.
Our other major strategy is to explore, identify and use appropriate quality of backwater at suitable place in order to replace the fresh water. The approach is somewhat similar to the pinch analysis technology commonly being used in petrochemical industries.
“Our proven experience in product development and deep technical knowledge on the application side, allows us to add value to our customer’s processes”
PD : How does your mill approach water recycling, and what percentage of water is generally reused within your production process?
DKS : With the use of different kidney technologies for paper machine back water treatment followed by micro filter, though a significant quantity of fresh water consumption is replaced with treated back water ; exact percentage figures become irrelevant. For example, in several cases, the total quantity of water recycled may be more than the quantity of fresh water actually used.
Apart from this, a part of primary treated effluent is used back in process which amounts to nearly 50% of all effluent sent to ETP. The remaining effluent is treated with conventional ASP (Activated Sludge Process) and dual media filter and sent for irrigation in nearby agricultural fields.
PD : What types of final water treatment processes does your mill use, and how do you ensure compliance with environmental standards?
DKS : The existing conventional ASP is enough to achieve desired effluent discharge parameters. Not only this, we are further expanding our ETP capacity to ensure compliances with future norms which obviously might be more and more stringent compared to existing ones.
PD : How does your team maintain water quality throughout the production process, and what challenges do you face in doing so?
DKS : This, of course, is a good question particularly with reducing water consumption and hearing about the quality and operational problems being faced by several other mills. Fundamentally, the aim is to ensure that the process water never faces the situation of dissolved oxygen depletion.
This is done by making it continuously moving, even at the cost of a little increased pumping power.
“We engage with local communities by providing treated water for irrigation, supporting local agriculture, and demonstrating our commitment to community welfare”
PD : What are the primary sources of water pollution in your mill’s papermaking process, and what measures are in place to mitigate these effects?
DKS : Cellulose fiber fractions –fines- and starch etc.– used in waste paper during manufacture, or added during post processes are the main sources of pollution. Most of these are easily bio-degradable, hence these do not pose any serious problem.
PD : How do fluctuations in water availability, such as during droughts, impact your production process, and what contingency plans does your mill have in place?
DKS : Chandpur Paper is located at a place where availability of water is not an issue. The groundwater level is pretty good, and hence water quality is not a problem. You may find hand pumps working at several places in the city. We even do not have any RO plant for our drinking water requirements at our homes. In fact, this increases our moral responsibility to ensure that our ground water quality remains good always.
PD : How does your mill handle wastewater, and what methods do you use to minimize its impact on local ecosystems?
DKS : Well, there is no water body like river, lake etc., in the close vicinity of the mill. After treatment, the effluent is sent for irrigation to nearby agricultural fields; for growing sugarcane, wheat, pulses etc. In addition, farming of fenugreek, spinach and other such water quality sensitive vegetables with treated effluent is a clear indication that there is no harmful impact on ecology.
PD : What role does regulation play in water management at your mill, and how do you adapt to changing regulations on water usage and discharge?
DKS : Working to meet regulatory norms and working hard to achieve much more than the regulatory norms are two entirely different approaches; and we work for the later.
PD : Could you share any recent innovations your mill has implemented in water management, and how have they affected sustainability and operational costs?
DKS : An in house water audit practice was initiated in the year 2016, which is still being followed every year. This helps us to evaluate and identify further goals and possibilities towards environment sustainability. Let me share a case, where during such an exercise, we evaluated water flow rate from each and every nozzle of wire and felt showers. The flow from two nozzles was improper. Obviously, these nozzles were replaced with new ones, and this helped to ensure uniform cleaning of clothing across the deckle.