Integrated wastewater management concept for a Eco-Electroplating Park (EEP) in India

The South Indian temple city of Madurai houses the largest electro-plating industry with some of the most hazardous pollutants, including cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and dioxin are common to this industry. Growing public complaints about the effluents and industry-related traffic problems had led the Pollution Control Board to issue a notice of closure to the approximately 100 small and medium scale electro-plating companies and establish an eco-industrial electro-plating park (EEP).

On behalf of EuropeAid and the GTZ, and in cooperation with the University of Leoben, adelphi supported local industries in Madurai in implementing cleaner production measures and developing a concept for decentralised wastewater treatment from metal finishing industries. This project pursued the visionary and holistic concept of providing environmental infrastructure services for SME clusters that are renowned for generating sector specific environmental pollution. Additionally, the SMEs were enabled to meet international environmental standards as pioneers in the Asian region, and technology transfer between Europe and Asia was facilitated.