ABSTRACT
Distillery industries are responsible for one of the major environmental pollution problems in developing countries, including India, because they release undesirable colored effluents. A typical sugarcane-molasses-based distillery generates 12–15 L of wastewater for every liter of the ethanol produced. As per the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India, alcohol distilleries are listed at the top of “Red Category” industries having high polluting potential. It has been reported that the discharges of colored wastewater, containing melanoidins, polyphenolics, and various recalcitrant organic and inorganic chemicals, into open land or nearby water bodies result in several environmental water and soil pollution problems, including a threat to plant and animal lives. To minimize the negative impact of wastewater from such water-demanding industries, it is critically important to decrease pollution. Therefore, environmental legislation commonly obligates textile factories to treat these effluents before discharge into the receiving watercourses. This chapter discusses the various rules, policies, and laws made by the Government of India for recycling, reuse, and safe disposal of distillery waste for suitable development.
