9 - Identification of Potential Interventions

Summary

We begin discussions on interventions and programmes for PEM, from this chapter to chapter 16. Preventive interventions and implementation of proenvironmental initiatives and programmes have been included in this section because all of these constitute the domain of PEM. As one can guess, PEM is not the activity to be undertaken exclusively by the environmental engineer or any other single designated authority from senior level of management or by the shop-floor work force.

There is a considerable interest in minimisation of wastes while manufacturing chemicals and engineering goods using cleaner production techniques. The manufacturers, regulatory agencies, and public at large have realised that problems resulting from process industries cannot be managed economically by the so-called “end-of-pipe” treatment (see Box 9.1). India happens to be among the countries in the forefront of chemical industry in the world, and the growth rate of chemical industry is apparently on the rise in India. Most of the major industrial accidents and pollution, too, are generally attributed to chemical industries. It is in this context; we have addressed cleaner production (CP) interventions of several kinds. It will be useful to recall that the interventions could be at various levels. The regulators or governments may impose them or they may be undertaken voluntarily by industry at the site of manufacturing or consumption.

In this chapter, we first provide an overview of the concepts and practice of CP activities. A case study has been presented to illustrate the essential steps involved in identification of potential CP interventions in a pesticide industry.