Research Paper - Environmental impacts of cotton industries

Research Paper

2012

Research Paper Assessing the Impact of Cotton industries on Environment

By: Suchita Toshniwal M.arch E.A

1

This research is done to examine the impact of cotton industries on environment. This work is done to know how much a cotton industry contribute to environmental pollution and degradation and to bring out the solutions for the same in project work to be done in thesis.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

How do cotton industries contribute to the environmental pollution?

Abstract The industrial sector is one of the most dynamic sectors of the economy and plays an essential role in economic development and the alleviation of poverty. If environmental considerations are not effectively integrated into the design of industrial processes, the implications can be manifold.

India is among the 10 most industrialized countries in the world. 1 However, rapid economic and industrial growth is causing severe urban and industrial pollution. The problem doesn‘t relate to only big scale industries, actually so many small scale industries are also responsible. Agro based industries are major contributing industries in India‘s economy and are mainly responsible for environmental pollution in Marathwada region of Maharashtra state. Agro based industries include sugar industry, dairies, oil refineries, flour mills, pulp and paper mills and cotton industries etc.

The negative impact of industrial pollution is not only limited to our environment but also to human health, especially health of workers who work in high polluting factories and the people who live in areas close to these factories.

The report examines the linkage between labour and their working pattern, health problems arising due to cotton dust, environmental pollution caused by cotton dust, problems due to old machineries used , energy demand, land management in cotton ginning industry and related oil mill etc.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Why cotton industry?

Agro industries are main base for economy of Marathwada region and thus, increasing its no. day-by-day under the name of development. Few examples for this are sugar industry, paper and pulp industry, oil refineries and cotton industries etc.

While moving around in my own town Selu (Dist. Parbhani), it was noticed that there are so many cotton ginning industries around the town. Cotton crop being produced widely in the Marathwada region, it is easy for ginneries to get raw material with less transportation cost. It was found that it is hard for a normal man to stand in a ginnery more than one hour due to cotton dust present in the air.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

BACKGROUND:

Ginning is the first mechanical process involved in processing of cotton. The main application of ginned cotton referred to as lint is for spinning operations, where lint is converted to yarn.

World production of cotton stood at 137.8 million bales in the year 2008-09. The leading producers include China, India, USA, Pakistan, Brazil, and Turkey. Cotton textile commands a significant share in exports from India. It accounts for nearly 22% of the total exports. Area, production and productivity of cotton in India in the year 2008-09 stood at 93.73 lakh hectares, 290 lakh bales (170 Kg of each bale) , 526 kgs per hectare.2

1.1. Environment Management:

Environment must have become an issue since when mankind was able to link observance of simple hygiene with good health and that must have been as old as the existence of man. However, more recently, the role of environment in the survival of the human race became better understood and it became clear that environment is a global common heritage which is only on lease to any particular human generation and therefore must be used with utmost care for generations following to be able to meet their Environmental and Developmental needs.

But today the problem is that, the socio-economic development has reached at a point, its speed has so increased and its destructive power is so enhanced that it is decimating the environment rapidly. Therefore it has become necessary to find-out such new paths and methods of development which will not destroy ecology and produce pollution.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

1.2. Need of Environment Management:

Environmental management precisely addresses the problems addressed before. If we manage environment properly, we can reduce pollution or even put a stop to it. We should use the resources in such a way that will not pollute the environment.

Environmental problems and issues have increasingly become complex in the modern globalised world. Global challenges such as climate change and biodiversity loss, and corporate environment responsibilities like going in for ISO certification, eco-labelling, green rating of projects make the discipline of environmental management more relevant than before. Environmental Management also involves proper use of nature. We should make such use as not to produce dirt and debris and not to destroy resources. Our development should be sustainable and the ecological cycle should work unhindered. 3 Similarly in cotton industries it is observed that main problems are dusty environment and noise creation by gins which lead serious diseases if attacked regularly without any proper precautions.

Thus, EM can help to find out and reduce these problems related to environment and will help to give some measures for making it Eco-friendly industry

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

2. SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS:

The study will focus on different issues related to cotton industries to arrive at a solution

with

an

environment

management

plan,

suggestive

measures,

policy

recommendations and standards for labours.

The study limits up to two case studies due to time constraint and reveals suggestive measures mainly for the research done.

3. NEED AND OBJECTIVES: The research will have four basic objectives:

3.1. Reduce environmental degradation occurring due to cotton industries.

3.2. Provide suggestions and policies for making a better environment in the industry.

3.3. Provide better environment for labours.

3.4. Provide a dust and noise free environment in industrial premises.

4. METHODOLOGY: The paper would be based on a case study approach which would study the cotton industry and its allied activities along with its impact and dependencies.

The analysis of case studies would help identify the issues and then suggest measures to solve them.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

5. LITERATURE REVIEW: This topic describes the cotton industry, its status and its impacts.

5.1. Introduction: Cotton is one of the most important fibre and cash crop of India and plays a dominant role in the industrial and agricultural economy of the country. During the last five decades, there has been a seven-fold increase in cotton production and more than fourfold increase in productivity, as a result of government schemes and programs for intensifying cotton production through successive Five-Year Plans.

The fact about cotton is there is more cotton grown globally than any other nonedible crop.4 The textile and apparel industries have also seen a significant boost in the last decade.

The sector accounts for almost 20% of total exports from India. International textile brands and retailers are increasingly looking to source cotton from India, such as cotton yarns, fabrics, made ups, readymade garments, accessories, etc.

This has resulted in rapid growth opportunities for the local traders, ginners and spinners and also challenges for the environment due to intensive cultivation. 5

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5.2. Fact file:

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

5.2.1 Cotton production which acts as raw material for ginning industries takes place only for 6-7 month a year. It starts from month October and ends upto March or sometimes the production stretches up to April.

5.2.2 Cost of cotton ranges from 3800-5800 per quintal depending upon its quality.6 5.2.3 Open market rates of lint and cotton seed decides the cost of cotton. Lint cost ranges from 30000-60000 per quintal.7 5.2.4 Cotton serves as the raw material for ginning industries which supplies raw stuff for spinning mills and textile mills.

5.3. About Cotton: Cotton is a natural vegetable fibre of great economic importance as a raw material for cloth. Its widespread use is largely due to the ease with which its fibres spun into yarns. Cotton's strength, absorbency, and capacity to be washed and dyed also make it adaptable to a considerable variety of textile products.

Cotton is a natural fibre of vegetable origin, like linen, jute or hemp. Mostly composed of cellulose (a carbohydrate plant substance) and formed by twisted, ribbonlike shaped fibres, cotton is the fruit of a shrubby plant commonly referred to as the "cotton plant". The cotton plant, a variety of plants of the genus Gossypium, belongs to theMalvacae family, which comprises approximately 1,500 species, also including the baobab tree, the bombax or the mallow. 8 Although the cotton plant is native to tropical countries, cotton production is not limited to the tropics. Indeed, the emergence of new varieties, as well as advances in cultivation techniques led to the expansion of its culture within an area. 8 Although cotton is widely planted in both hemispheres, it remains a sun-loving plant highly vulnerable to freezing temperatures. Cotton is crucially important to several developing countries. The cotton commodity chain can be divided into three broad stages: production, processing, and marketing.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Cotton production in world9

India has emerged as the second largest producer of cotton in the world, with the largest area under crop production, at over 9.44 million hectares. About 60 million people, including 4.5 million farmers in India, depend on cotton for their livelihood. The strong increase of cotton production in India was supported by the government with the launch of the Cotton Technology Mission with the aim of making Indian cotton production competitive in the world market by increasing productivity and improving the quality and uniformity of its cotton throughout the value-chain.

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5.4. Cotton scenario in India:

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

At the start of the 2009/10 crop year, the world‘s focus is on India — as the world‘s second-largest cotton producer, consumer, and exporter, India commands special attention. Cotton and the cotton textile industry have played a fundamental role in Indian culture and trade throughout India‘s history — cultivation, spinning, weaving, and dyeing of cotton in India date back at least 5,000 years.

India was one of the first countries to engage

in

large-scale

manufacturing;

in

fact,

textile the

great

popularity of Indian textile exports inspired some of the world‘s first largescale textile quota systems. In the 20th century,

cotton

grew

in

domestic

importance and emerged as a central symbol

of

India‘s

independence

movement. With recent technological advances and market liberalization, India has emerged in the 21st-century as a major player in the world cotton market.10 Major Cotton producing area11

5.5. Cotton’s role in Indian economy: Though sometimes overshadowed by China (the world‘s largest producer, importer, and consumer of cotton), India is a dominant player in the cotton world. Textile 10

manufacturing is India‘s second-largest industry (behind only agriculture), employing over 35 million people. 12

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Growth in India‘s textile industry has been spurred by the opening up of world markets, particularly since the expiration of the World Trade Organization Multi-Fiber Agreement at the end of 2004. Since 2003/04, India‘s cotton consumption has grown 35%, from 13.5 million bales to a forecast 22.5 million bales in 2009/10.

India is now the third-largest exporter of cotton-dominant products to the United States, accounting for about 10% of U.S. cotton-dominant imports. India‘s strong economic growth over the past decade has greatly expanded the country‘s domestic market, leading to increased apparel spending and evolving apparel preferences among Indian consumers. 13

5.6. Cotton acreage and production: India devotes more land to cotton than any other country and claimed 30.4% of the world‘s total cotton acreage in 2008/09, compared with 20.5% for China and 9.9% for the United States (International Cotton Advisory Committee). Even so, India remains a distant second to China in cotton production, producing 17.8 million bales in 2008/09 to China‘s 33.5 million bales (USDA). India‘s cotton yield, at 523 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha), lags significantly behind both the Chinese yield of 1,331 kg/ha and the world average of 766 kg/ha (USDA estimates for 2008/09).14 Recent years have seen significant improvements in Indian yield and production due to widespread introduction of genetically modified (GM) seed. Since commercial planting of GM seed was first permitted in 2002/03, its use has expanded to cover the majority of Indian cotton acreage — an estimated 80% in 2009/10 (Indian Directorate of Cotton Development). As the use of GM seed has spread, Indian yields have risen 74% (from 301 kg/ha in 2002/03 to 523 kg/ha in 2008/09), and the cotton harvest has grown 61% (from 14.0 to 22.5 million bales). 15

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Another factor affecting Indian cotton yields and production is rainfall. India has distinct wet and dry seasons and depends on the monsoon rains to nourish many of its agricultural crops. About 80% of India‘s annual rainfall comes from the monsoon, which typically occurs between June and September.

Since only about 35% of India‘s cotton acreage is irrigated, yields and production are 12

highly susceptible to annual variation in rainfall. A dry year in 2008/09 contributed to the first year-to-year declines in yield and production since the introduction of GM seed — from

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

2007/08 to 2008/09, yield fell from 567 to 523 kg/ha and production from 24.6 to 22.5 million bales.16

This year, monsoon rainfall has been later and lighter than historical averages, delaying planting in some areas. If the current pattern continues, dry conditions could limit the size of the 2009/10 harvest.

India‘s cotton production and yield.17

5.7. Exports and government price support: With the substantial economic growth India has enjoyed over the past decade, Indian cotton consumption has risen 35%. While impressive, this growth has been outpaced by the 105% increase in production resulting from improved yields. India has thus enjoyed a surplus of production over consumption since 2003/04, contributing to its emergence as one of the world‘s top exporters of raw cotton. Among the most important destinations for Indian cotton exports (based on value) are China (46.7%), Pakistan (20.5%), and Bangladesh (12.1%).18 13

Despite strong growth, an ongoing issue with Indian cotton exports is contamination. In the latest survey by the International Federation of Textile Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Manufacturers, the six most contaminated cottons tested were from India. Likely sources of contamination are hand-picking, where foreign matter (such as polypropylene strands from picking bags) may be accidentally introduced, and ginning, where seed coats may not be adequately removed, and wire or metal can break off machinery and remain embedded within the fibres.

The key factor affecting Indian exports in 2008/09, however, was not contamination, but government involvement in the pricing of cotton. In late summer 2008, the Indian government increased the guaranteed minimum support price for cotton by 30% to 50% (depending on quality). When cotton prices collapsed last fall, it became more profitable for Indian farmers to sell their cotton to the Cotton Corporation of India or India‘s National Agricultural Marketing Federation than to sell it on the domestic or international market. Consequently, Indian cotton exports fell drastically (by 68%), from 7.0 million bales in 2007/08 to 2.0 million bales in 2008/09. Since accumulating almost 11 million bales, these organizations have sold most of their purchased cotton, primarily through bulk sales at a discount to the minimum support price.

5.8. Impact of Indian cotton in 2009 / 2010:

General expectations are that Indian cotton will return to the world export market in 2009/10; the USDA currently estimates that India will ship 6.4 million bales. With returns for cotton harvests guaranteed by minimum support prices, Indian farmers have already increased their plantings by 16% in 2009/10, even though acreage is expected to decline in most cotton-producing countries as a result of weak global prices in 2008/09.

However, India‘s year-to-date rainfall is 25% below the long-term average, and drought is threatening Indian production. The USDA already projects a world 14

production/consumption shortfall of 6.9 million bales (based on production of 105.9 million bales and consumption of 112.8 million bales). If continuing dry weather reduces

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Indian cotton production, the world production/consumption gap could grow further, contributing to upward pressure on cotton prices in 2009/10.19

Impacts of Indian cotton20

Indian Textile Industry is: 4.8.1 Largest Gross and Net foreign exchange earner.

4.8.2 31% of the total export earnings with practically no import content (cotton yam contributing 13%)

4.8.3 21% of industrial production

4.8.4 7% GDP 15

4.8.5 Direct employment to nearly 3 crore (30 million) people.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

5.9. Production trends: Cotton production has grown significantly since the mid-1980s due to improvements in both area and yield, but growth slowed in the 1990s because of a sharp slowdown in yield gains. Since 2000, rising yields and, more recently, a rebound in area planted have again restored stronger growth in production, but it is uncertain if these gains will be sustained.

Output continues to show large annual variations due primarily to weatherinduced fluctuations in average yields. About 65 percent of cotton area is not irrigated and is dependent on erratic monsoon rainfall, a share that has remained relatively constant since the late 1980s. Area, yield, and production trends have varied sharply across each of 16

India's distinctly different cotton-producing regions.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

India: Cotton Exports and Imports, 1970-200421

India has been traditionally a net cotton exporter, but emerged as a significant net importer in 1998. Increased import demand has been associated with a combination of steady growth in domestic consumption, raising exports of cotton-based textiles, and a period of stagnating cotton production during 1997-2002 (fig. 30). Rising imports have also been supported by more liberal import policies for cotton since the early 1990s and, in the late 1990s, by increased demand for quality cotton not available in India.

5.10. The cotton textile export promotion council of India: The non-profit Council, popularly known as ―Texprocil,‖ was founded in 1954 by the government of India and currently represents approximately 4,000 Indian companies of all sizes, including both manufacturers and trading houses specializing in production of cotton textiles.

India exports more than US$ 4 billion of cotton yarns, fabrics and ready-made home fashions. The European Union represents the largest export market, accounting for about 30 percent of the country‘s production. The United States is a rapidly growing market, representing about 23 percent of India‘s exports of cotton home textiles. These 17

products are sold in all major channels of distribution, ranging from mass merchants and national chains to upscale department stores and specialty shops.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

India: cotton production and consumption, 1970-2004

For more than half a century, The Cotton Textiles Export Promotion Council of India has been promoting products from Indian manufacturers to the world. The non-profit Council, popularly known as ―Texprocil,‖ was founded in 1954 by the government of India and currently represents approximately 4,000 Indian companies of all sizes, including both manufacturers and trading houses specializing in production of cotton textiles. India exports more than US$ 4 billion of cotton yarns, fabrics and ready-made home fashions.

5.11. State wise production and yield: The most notable increase in production has been in the case of Gujarat (15.00 lakh bales to 47.00 lakh bales) followed by Andhra Pradesh (18.75 lakh bales to 25.50 lakh bales) between the period 1990-91 to 1998-99 i.e. an increase of 21.3% and 36% respectively. The production in Karnataka and Tamilnadu has remained more or less constant during the same period, while in Northern State of Punjab and Haryana, the production has progressively declined from 17.25 lakh bales and 11.50 lakh bales to 5.00 lakh bales and 7.00 lakh bales respectively, over the same 18

period.

In Maharashtra, which has the highest area under cotton cultivation among all State, the

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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production has been fluctuating from year to year and no definite trend is noticeable. In Madhya Pradesh, an increasing trend in production has been maintained (though not significant) between the period 1990-91 to 1997-98, though thereafter there is a declining trend in production in M.P. in Rajasthan, production after having increased between 1990-91 and 1995-96 started declining in subsequent years.

5.12. Environmental and social risk: Cotton is mostly grown in monoculture and is a very pesticide-intensive crop.

Although it is only grown on 2.5% of the world‘s agricultural land, it consumes 16% of all the insecticides and 6,8% of all herbicides used worldwide. 22 These pesticides are washed out of soils, and pollute rivers and groundwater. Pests often develop resistance to pesticides that are used on a continuous basis. Furthermore, the chemicals eliminate not only pests but also their natural enemies. This interference with the ecosystem considerably reduces biodiversity and can result in pests that were previously not so important becoming a major problem.

If cotton is cultivated intensively, it requires large amounts of water for irrigation.

This causes soil Stalinization, particularly in dry areas and hence degradation of soil fertility.

The diversion of entire rivers into huge irrigation channels in Central Asia has led to the gradual drying-up of the Aral Lake, one of the largest inland waters in the world. It is estimated that 60% of irrigation water in Central and Southern Asia is lost before reaching cotton fields because of poor infrastructure.

Cotton production also contributes to climate change. Industrial fertilizers are produced using considerable quantities of finite energy sources (1.5% of the world‘s annual energy consumption), releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide. Furthermore, the excessive application of nitrates to agricultural land leads to their being transformed into nitrous oxide 19

(―laughing gas‖), a greenhouse gas that is 300 times more destructive than CO2 in terms of global warming. Finally, soils are important carbon sinks. Soil degradation seriously reduces their carbon sequestration capacity, thereby contributing to the greenhouse effect.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Social risks Conventional cotton production has a series of social and economic risks, especially for small farmers in developing countries. Many small farmers in the South fall ill or die due to a lack of adequate equipment and knowledge about how to handle pesticides properly.

However, a farmer‘s income from his cotton harvest is often lower than the cost of the inputs due to low crop yields and market prices, driving more and more farmers into debt. As cotton is a cash crop, cotton farmers are highly dependent on volatile world markets.

Growing only cotton reduces families‘ food security, particularly in regions with unstable climatic conditions, since in bad years they are unlikely to have enough money to buy food.

5.13. Cotton Gins: Ginning is the first mechanical process involved in processing cotton. Ginning mill separates cotton fibres from the seed bolls and dust particles. The main application of ginned cotton referred to as lint is for spinning operations, where lint is converted to yarn.

A cotton gin (short for cotton engine) is a machine that quickly and easily separates cotton fibres from their seeds, a job formerly performed by hand. The fibres are processed into cotton goods, and the seeds may be used to grow more cotton or to produce cottonseed oil; if they are badly damaged, they are disposed of.

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The first modern mechanical cotton gin was created by American inventor El Whitney in 1793 and patented in 1794. 23 It used a combination of a wire screen and small wire hooks to pull the cotton through, while brushes continuously removed the loose Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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cotton lint to prevent jams. Larger, more complex, automated cotton gins remain a crucial part of the cotton industry today.

5.13.1. Early cotton gins: The earliest versions of the cotton gin consisted of a single roller made of iron or wood and a flat piece of stone or wood. Evidence for this type of gin has been found in Africa, Asia, and North America. The first documentation of the cotton gin by contemporary scholars is found in the fifth century AD, in the form of fifthcentury Buddhist paintings depicting a single-roller gin in the Ajanta Caves in western India. These early gins were difficult to use and required a great deal of skill.

A narrow single roller was necessary to expel the seeds from the cotton without crushing the seeds. The design was similar to that of a metate, which was used to grind grain. The early history of the cotton gin is ambiguous, because archeologists likely mistook the cotton gin's parts for other tools.

Between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, dual-roller gins appeared in India and China. The Indian version of the dual-roller gin was prevalent throughout the Mediterranean cotton trade by the sixteenth century. This mechanical device was, in some areas, driven by water power.

5.13.2. Eli Whitney’s patent: The modern mechanical cotton gin was invented in 1793 by Eli Whitney (17651825). Whitney applied for a patent on October 28, 1793; the patent was granted on March 14, 1794, but was not validated until 1807. 24

Many contemporary inventors attempted to develop a design that would process short staple cotton, and Hodgen Holmes, Robert Watkins, William Longstreet, and John Murray had all been issued patents for improvements to the cotton gin by 1796. However, the evidence indicates that Whitney did invent the saw gin, for which he is famous. Although he spent many years in court attempting to enforce his patent against planters who made unauthorized copies, a change in patent 21

law ultimately made his claim legally enforceable — too late for him to make much money off of the device in the single year remaining before the patent expired.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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2012

5.13.3. Whitney’s Design: Whitney's cotton gin model was capable of cleaning 50 pounds (23 kg) of lint per day. The model consisted of a wooden cylinder surrounded by rows of slender spikes, which pulled the lint through the bars of a comb-like grid. The grids were closely spaced, preventing the seeds from passing through. 25

5.13.4. Importance of the cotton gin: The invention of the cotton gin caused massive growth in the production of cotton in the all over world. The number of slaves rose in concert with the increase in cotton production.

Cotton had formerly required considerable labour to clean and separate the fibres from the seeds; the cotton gin revolutionized the process. With Eli Whitney‘s introduction of ―teeth‖ in his cotton gin to comb out the cotton and separate the seeds, cotton became a tremendously profitable business.

According to Eli Whitney’s museum site: Whitney (who died in 1825) could not have foreseen the ways in which his invention would change society for the worse. The most significant of these was the growth of slavery. While it was true that the cotton gin reduced the labour of removing seeds, it did not reduce the need for slaves to grow and pick the cotton. In fact, the opposite occurred. Cotton growing became so profitable for the planters that it greatly increased their demand for both land and slave labour.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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2012

A cotton gin on display in the Eli Whitney‘s museum26

5.14. Importance of cotton gins in India: India is one of the major producers of cotton and the cotton textile industry is one of the oldest and largest in the country. It provides employment to large number of people. Cotton ginning is an interface between the farming and industrial sector from cotton to textile production, and engaged in the process of separation of cotton fibres from Cotton balls. Ginning industries are mostly small units and located in semi-rural and small towns. During the ginning process, dust fibres and lint are generated which cause air pollution.

Ginning is a seasonal industry like sugar, operating during only certain period in a year. Ginning process often are also combined with pressing units i.e. pressing cotton fibres and making a 'bale' ready for transportation to cotton textile industries.

Gins from ginning industries in India are 70% roller and 30% Saw ginning. The average age of the gins is 100 years. 27 There are nine major cotton growing states in India e.g., Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Haryana, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Punjab, Rajasthan and Tamil Nadu. Out of these, Maharashtra has the largest number of 23

ginning mills. The state wise numbers of ginning and pressing units are shown as in following table Punjab has the higher number of composite units, followed by Maharashtra.28 Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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State wise type of activity

State wise number of ginning and pressing units 29

The ginning and pressing units are generally of two types. Processing own cotton and job work for others like traders and co-operatives is the common practice followed. It 24

was found that 19% of the total units process their own cotton, 59% perform job work for others, 22% of the units do both.

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In other words, 81% of the units perform job wok for others. Following table shows the activity wise number of the units based on the data obtained from the Textile Committee.

The production of ginning units depends upon the several factors like speed, make of the machine etc. State wise production of various types of ginning machines in India and summarized in the table below.30

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Type of machine and its production Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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5.15. Industry classification: While categorizing the ginning industries, capacity and type of units have been taken into consideration. Ginning industries can be broadly classified as saw ginning and roller ginning depending upon the type of machine used. The roller ginning may be further categorized as single roller ginning or double roller ginning. The criteria used for classification of ginning units are given in table below.

Criteria for classification of ginning units

5.15.1. Saw Gins:

Saw gins have pre-cleaner, automatic feeding, high speed saws and lint 26

doffing mechanism. Number of saws range between 90 to 158, saw diameter varies from 300-450 mm. It can be used advantageously up to staple length of 28 mm.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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Saw gins have following components:        

Air Separator and distributor Pre-cleaner Huller section and seed roll box Ginning saw Ribs.

Lint doffing mechanism Moting device Lint condenser

5.15.1.1. Air separator and distributor:

This unit is used for feeding of cotton unto gin stand. Cotton is pneumatically transported from the heaps and fed to distributor. A suction fan produces strong air velocity in the pipeline to carry Kapas. Air separator separates the air and Kapas as it drops in the distributor by gravity. It supplies Kapas to different gins and throws extra Kapas out of the system.

5.15.1.2. Pre-cleaner: It is a horizontal machine having 6 rollers. Pre-cleaner is used for opening of cotton and removing foreign matter to the possible extent. Well-opened and cleaned cotton is necessity for good saw ginning.

5.15.1.3. Huller section and seed roll box: Pre-cleaned cotton falls in the huller section of gin stand. A spiked roller throws it near saw, protruding through the huller ribs. Cotton is picked up by the saw and carried to the seed roll box (cylindrical hopper). Cotton rotates in the form of cylinder. Actual ginning takes place here.

5.15.1.4. Ginning Saw: Circular discs have saw teeth on the circumference, available in 12" and 16" size. Twelve inch saw discs are used in Indian machines. Numbers of saws 27

decide the capacity of saw gin. These saws are available with 264 or 282 teeth per disc. Shape of saw teeth may differ upon the efficiency and quality of ginning which depends on shape and sharpness of the teeth.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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The teeth of saw discs get blunt and damaged during ginning. So saw discs need sharpening after ginning 400-500 bales.' Teeth sharpening are done manually with help of triangular file. Due to repeated sharpening, the disc size is reduced which lead to reduction in capacity of gin. A reduction of 1/16" in diameter can reduce the production by 20%. Power requirement for ginning, with worn out saws, is also comparatively more.

5.15.1.5. Ribs: Two types of ribs, namely ginning and huller ribs are used. Ginning ribs are a part of seed roll box and huller ribs are used in huller section. Ribs are made of cast iron and having definite shape. In the operating condition of gin, saw discs protrude through the spacing between the ribs. It is however, advisable to replace such worn out ribs. Ginning ribs get worn out at the point where saw teeth pass. It is sometimes repaired by welding.

5.15.1.6. Lint Doffing Mechanism: In saw ginning, lint is separated by saw discs, but due to high speed of discs lints remain entangled to the teeth. A doffing arrangement is required to remove it. Lint can be removed from saw' discs in two ways either by a revolving brush or by the blow of compressed air.

5.15.1.7. Moting Device: Motes are undeveloped seeds in Kapas. Quantity of motes present in Kapas depends upon the variety of cotton and irrigation facilities. Modern saw gin machines are equipped with arrangement to remove motes. During ginning two types of systems, namely overload and gravity moting systems are used. Indian machines are provided with gravity type of snotes.

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5.15.1.8. Lint Condenser: Though not a part of gin stand, it is an essential part of the saw ginning system. Lint supplied by the gin stand is collected by the condenser and supplied Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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in the form of thick sheet (bath). A condenser can be connected to 3 gin stand.

Lint received from the condenser is transported to the pressing section either by mechanical pneumatic conveyor or manually after filling in bags.

5.15.2. Roller Gins: It has a roller, a fixed knife and one or two oscillating knives. Ginning takes place by action of moving knife, which separates the seed from the fibres gripped between the fixed knife and roller. Two sets to these functional parts, fixed on the opposite sides of a frame make a double roller gin. Production of double roller is double that of a single roller.

Main functional parts of a roller ginning machines are:  Leather roller  Fixed knife  Oscillating knife  Seed grid

5.15.2.1. Leather roller: These rollers are made of chrome composite leather washers. About 85-90 29

leather washers are pressed together on to the bare roller to get a compressed length of 40" and required hardness. Roller is then turned on a lathe machine to

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get, required diameter of 6 3/4" - 7". To get roughness required for gripping the fibres in machine; the roller is grooved spirally with the help of a plain saw.

5.15.2.2. Fixed knife: Oscillating knife is a rectangular strip made out of 2 mm thickness M.S. Sheet with size of 1060 mm length and 65 mm width. One side of knife is bevelled like a carpenter's chisel to get a straight and parallel edge without any kinks and burrs. It is fixed on the knife rail between back knife and knife holder with the help of screws.

5.15.2.3. Oscillating knife: Oscillating knife is 6 mm strip having length of 1020 mm length and width 65 mm. One edge is bevelled to reduce thickness to 4 mm. In a double roller gin two such blades ate fixed on the beater, which oscillate* with the help of a crank or eccentric shaft and an oscillating lever. The edges of the blades should be straight, parallel and without any surface damage.

5.15.2.4. Seed grid: It is made rectangular M.S. Sheet, with length equal to the width of machine. Slots are perpendicular throughout the length (this is also called as Jali).

While ginning, the seeds drop down through these slots. Seed grids with different slot width are available.

Their selection is accordingly to the cotton variety so that the ginned seed should easily pass through it without allowing the un-ginned or partially ginned Kapas to pass through.

5.15.2.5. Pressing: Pressing of ginned cotton is done for ease of transport. Hydraulic or electric presses are used for two-stage process of making bales.

First stage; filling of cotton and pressing it only to such an extent that it 30

can be carried to the finisher press whereas in the second stage; pre-pressed bale is further pressed to the required dimensions.

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5.16. Ginning process: This process is the mechanical separation of the cotton fibres from its seeds by means of one or more rollers to which fibres adhere while the seeds are obstructed and stuck off or pulled loose. The ginning of cotton is a relatively simple process involving several operations, which may be done manually or by using machines. Ginning involves following steps and operations:  Transport of kapas from the field to the ginning mill;  Storage of kapas in the mill;  Pre-cleaning of kapas;  Conveyance of kapas to the gins;  The ginning (separation of cotton seed);  Pressing and formation of bales; and  Transportation of bales/cotton seed

5.16.1. Transportation of kapas: Generally, kapas is transported to the ginneries by four modes namely trucks, tractors, bullock carts and head loads. Bullock carts account for nearly 40% of all modes. However, trucks constitute the chief mode of transport in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu.

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5.16.2. Storage of kapas in mill: Kapas is transported to the unit in loose form or in jute and HDPE bags.

The storage of kapas lint, seeds and bales play a very vital role in maintaining Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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the quality of cotton reaching the textile mills. Besides, proper storage also reduces the cost of production at subsequent stages. All the items viz. Kapas, lint, bales and seeds are mostly stored in the open ground without any cover.

Other forms of storage places are open go-downs with cover, closed go-downs and raised platforms. Storage of kapas on raised platforms is the second most used practice followed by storing in open ground with cover. In Haryana, Maharashtra and Punjab mostly raised platforms are used for kapas storage. In the case of lints, seeds and bales, storing in closed go-down come second most used storage practice.

5.16.3. Pre-cleaning of kapas: Kapas may contain several impurities acquired due to improper handling and storage. Prior to the actual process of ginning, kapas must be thoroughly pre-cleaned to separate the impurities and foreign matters. Cleaned kapas yield better lint quality and reduce chances of damage to the ginning equipment. Precleaning is mostly carried out manually in approximately 53% of the units.

5.16.4. Conveyance of Kapas: Kapas may be conveyed to gins either manually or pneumatically depending upon the type of factory unit and system of conveyance.

5.16.5. Ginning: Ginning is the process of separation of cotton fibres from cotton balls.

The ginning process depends upon the type of units as saw gins or roller gins. In saw gins, the cotton is separated from cotton seed by grinding action of saw teeth, while in roller gins, the ginning process takes place by the cutting action of two knives (one is fixed, the other moving).

5.16.6. Pressing: Pressing of ginned cotton is done for ease of transport. Hydraulic or 32

electric presses are used for two-stage process of making bales. First stage; filling of cotton and pressing it only to such an extent that it can be carried to the finisher

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press whereas in the second stage; pre-pressed bale is further pressed to the required dimensions.

5.16.7. Transportation of bale and cotton seed: The bales are transported to spinning mills manually or by truck, tractor, trolley depending upon the distance of spinning mill from ginning unit. Cotton seeds are taken to oil mill or market depending upon its usage.

5.17. Pollution control: Based on the in-depth studies carried out for the cotton ginning industry, it was noted that the major pollution problems relate to dust and noise. In this section of report, the sources of these pollutants, nature of the problems, probable solutions and cost considerations are dealt with to identify and recumbent the most desirable methods for pollution control and environmental improvements.

5.17.1. Identification and control technology: Ginning industry is seasonal and operates for a few months in a year. The economic compulsions in the ginning industry prevent drastic technological changes requiring heavy financial investments. Most of the machinery being used is generally very old.

In several cotton producing areas, ginning units have closed down and owners of such units are changing over to different kind of industries due to shift in crop production from cotton to other crops. Under such economic constraints, any proposal for noise and dust level reduction in the ginning area has to be cost effective and without any major change in the present technology. Appropriate technologies identified in this direction are described below.

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5.17.2. Noise Control: As already indicated, substantial technological change will neither be economical, nor be acceptable to the factory owners. Since the gins produce a lot of Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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noise due to inbuilt technology, it would be advisable that the machines are so placed and are fed by mechanized means so that no person needs to be constantly present near the machines.

Thus, the machines can be placed at a higher platform near the roof having no side walls so that the noise is dispersed outside. Feeding of raw cotton by means of the covered bucket, elevator dropping the material in to a hopper which feeds a covered screw conveyor, that screw conveyor to feeds in to a machine is recommended.

This process will eliminate the manual feeding of the machines as well. The ginned cotton can be collected at a lower level platform by means of chutes and ducts for filling gunny bags to form bales.

Alternate arrangement of pneumatic feeding system may be used to avoid manual handling. In this case, the suction fan can be placed at the machine floor at the higher elevation so as to reduce the noise level at the working area.

In these schemes, the machines producing noise are kept away from the raw and ginned cotton handling area and hence the noise level at the working area can be considerably reduced.

Since modification suggested above would require considerable investment and large scale modification of plants, it is proposed that the roller gin's may be covered by sound proof enclosures and use of pneumatic feeding of raw cotton while suction of ginned cotton may be introduced to considerably reduce the noise level.

It is suggested to replace all the existing noise making roller machines by modern roller machines, which produce noise within reasonable limits and provide the pneumatic handling system to avoid dust level pollution.

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5.17.3. Sources of Fugitive emission: The dust is generated at the point where cotton comes in contact with air currents. Further, the raw cotton being more compact, handling raw cotton produce lesser dust than the ginned cotton. The dust is generated at the places wherever the cotton is handled and processed. Such places are:

a) Collection points for feeding to machines; b) Feeding points into the machine for manual feeding system. c) Saw ginning machines while guiding and pushing ginned cotton back into the machines; d) The collection point of ginned cotton from the condenser or from the roller gins; e) Filling the gunny bags to form bales.

The fugitive emissions of SPM and RSPM as presented in previous section are high and need to be reduced particularly in view of high RSPM levels. RSPM is mostly constituted by cotton fibres, which are known to cause byssinosis in workers who are constantly exposed to high levels of such fibres in the working environment.

5.18. New developments in cotton ginning from lummus:

5.18.1. Hi speed Roller ginning: 35

While the saw-type cotton gin is, by far, the most prevalent type of ginning found in the world, this process does contribute to fibre damage (increased short fibre

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content, reduced uniformity, and increased neps), which lower mill efficiency and yarn quality, especially in mills equipped with more modern technology.

Roller-type ginning (using either a reciprocating knife or a rotary knife) is used to process long staple Pima cotton around the world. From a capacity standpoint, the rotary-knife roller gin stand is, by far, a higher-capacity option versus its reciprocating-knife counterpart, typically without compromising fiber-spinning quality.

While roller-type ginning has long been shown to be a gentler way of separating the cotton lint from the seed, the low capacities typically obtained in traditional roller gins provide an economic barrier to their more widespread application. Most modern roller ginning facilities around the world are equipped with rotary-knife roller gins. The principle of the rotary-knife roller gin is shown in figure.

Principle of rotary knife roller gin stand 31.

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The seed cotton is applied to the ginning roller, with the separation of fiber and seed taking place as the lint (adhering to the ginning roller) is pulled under the stationary knife (which is exerting high pressure against the ginning roller). The Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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rotary knife directs seed cotton to the ginning point, sweeps cottonseed away from the ginning point, and releases the seed cotton that was not fully ginned to be drawn back to the tip of the stationary knife for further ginning.

5.18.2. Non-conventional saw type lint cleaning: Lint cleaners in cotton gins fall into two basic categories: flow-through, air type centrifugal lint cleaners and saw-type lint cleaners. Because they have no moving parts, air-type lint cleaners cause no fiber damage, and they should be designed into any modern gin plant as the first stage of lint cleaning.

Based upon current marketing conditions, gins utilizing an air type lint cleaner followed by a single stage of saw-type lint cleaning typically can maximize lint turnout and market value while keeping fiber damage at a tolerable level for the textile mill. If multiple stages of saw-type lint cleaning are available, the machinery arrangement should provide for bypass capability whenever possible.

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The Lummus Sentinelď€ Lint Cleaner.32

Controlled-batt saw-type lint cleaners were introduced in cotton gins throughout the United States in the late 1940‘s, in order to reduce the unprecedented amounts of trash which resulted when mechanical harvesters began to replace hand harvesting.

These lint cleaners operate under the principle that the lint is formed into a batt by a slow moving condenser drum, fed through a series of rollers (the feed works), then applied to the high-speed saw cylinder teeth by a closely-spaced feed roller and feed plate. The difference in speed of the batt versus the saw speed at the transfer point is known as the combing ratio and is what results in the smooth appearance of the lint following one or more stages of saw-type lint cleaning.

Over the years, numerous tests run on saw-type lint cleaners have quantified the level of fiber breakage that takes place in these machines. Further, these studies show that almost all of the fiber breakage takes place in saw-type lint cleaners where the sharp saw teeth plow through the firmly-held batt of fibers being fed to the saws.

5.18.3. A new design: In an effort to eliminate this significant source of the fiber damage in a conventional saw-type lint cleaner, Lummus introduced the Sentinel Lint Cleaner in 1999. The Sentinel is a non-conventional saw-type lint cleaner that applies individual tufts of fiber directly to the saw (through the use of a high-speed perforated air and dust separator cylinder), rather than agglomerating the fiber into a batt on a low-speed revolving condenser drum.

By using this method, the conveying air and dust are more effectively removed than in conventional saw-type lint cleaners, where the batt tends to act as a 38

filter, trapping dust before it can be exhausted with the conveying air. Also, trash particles are never compressed into the fiber due to the absence of the traditional lint cleaner feed works.

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5.19. Environmental impacts of CCLC rollers: Environmental impacts of CCLC rollers are assessed from the pollutants viz., cotton dust and chrome specific dust (CSD) in the mill atmosphere. Their sources and health effects are briefly described below. The cotton dust released in the ginning process is a complex and variable mixture of cotton fibres, undeveloped ovules, cotton plant debris including twigs, bract and pericarp particles left after the ginning process together with soil particles, bacteria, fungi and residues from pesticides.

Figure 3 is the configuration showing the layers of cotton seed coat or pericarp particle. The visible and invisible dust in the mill atmosphere is known as ‗Fly‘. The ambient air particles of about 2.5 ĂŹm are classified as cotton dust in ginning environment.33 Byssinosis is a disease due to the inhalation of cotton dust over long period of time (Shirley Institute, 1982). It is a permanent disabling lung disease.

The symptom is chronic cough ending in chronic bronchitis (respiratory disorder).

India has a large number of ginning and textile mills employing 48% of all the factory workers (Rao, 1995). About 55% of mill workers suffer from byssinosis disease (Rao, 1995). As per the rough estimate during field survey/discussions with ginning industry management, presently, there are about 213 000 CCLC rollers, (which comprise of 17 040 000 CCLC washers) are used for a cotton season of three months in our country.

There are about 760 000 people working in roller ginning industries in India.

Due to the persistent rubbing action between CCLC rollers and stationary knives in ginning machines, they are wearing out constantly and exorbitantly contaminating the ginned lint cotton with chromium and get permanently coated during 39

the ginning process. CSD production during this process is the major environmental chromium contamination and pollution problem from roller ginning industries. It has been observed that contamination of cotton by the foreign matter other than field originating Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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trash is the serious problem: Lint cotton and cotton dust are the adsorbents of chromium from CSD emission.

Thus, chromium is adsorbed in lint cotton, spun yarns, woven fabrics in macro level.

During the wet textile processing stage, the concentration of chromium in the effluent is precipitated in micro amount. The chromium concentration is reduced in micro amount during beating operations, blow room mechanical cleaning and carding process.

It is permanently coated with spun yarns and woven fabrics in considerable amount against the safe limits of 0.1 ppm prescribed by eco-standards. Cotton seeds are an important source of edible oil. The ginned cotton seeds are also contaminated with chromium in huge concentrations thus polluting edible oil. Chromium-contaminated cotton seeds cause chromium poisoning and lead to skin disorders, liver damage in humans and animals Oil cakes consumed by animals were found with chromium poisoning diseases.

Chromium in CSD and contaminated cotton products acts in humans in three ways, viz., (1) local action as dermatitis or absorption through skin, (2) direct inhalation, and (3) ingestion or absorption into stomach (Morton Lippman, 1991).

Toxic effects are produced by prolonged contact with airborne, solid or liquid chromium compounds even in small quantities because of their properties viz., carcinogenecity, mutagenecity and corrosiveness Complications do arise due to the reducing nature of these chromium traces that affect organic tissues of body.

The air pollution due to CSD and cotton dust, which is responsible for synergistic (augmentative) health complications of chromium based diseases and byssinosis diseases on ginning industry workers. Almost most of the mills in India are not provided with dust control systems. Nor they provide personal protection devices to the workers.

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The women often come along with their children for performing their jobs, like (i) feeding seed-cotton, (ii) collecting the lint cotton, seed and floor sweeping, (iii) cleaning and grading the seed- cotton and (iv) light activities. The children are exposed directly to CSD.

The health effects and reports of the workers has not come out into public because 

almost all the workers are not in regular employment,



the cotton ginning industry functions seasonally for 6–8 months in semi-arid zones and 8–10‘ months in rain fed areas in an year,



the workers are reluctant to go for their medical checkup because of their negligence and fear and they are economically not sound enough to go for their medical treatment.

Based on the environmental impacts of CCLC rollers in roller ginning industries, the first part of the present study pertains to assess environmental chromium pollution during the cotton ginning process.

Figure 1 shows the close up of the cottons gins with roller machine and figure 2 41

shows a chrome composite leather clad washier making CCLC gin rollers.

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As already outlined above, in conventional ginning process, CCLC rollers emits tremendous amount of chromium in ginning environment due to constant dust producing, grinding action which contaminates the cotton and its products. This also causes air pollution in the mill environment. An exhaustive study is needed for the development of eco-friendly chrome less roller, which can be an alternative to the existing CCLC rollers.

An exhaustive material study is done for the suitable material selection of the gin rollers which are made of walrus animal skin, spider tuck packing, coir-board, rubber packing, metal cylinder, rubber roll, fabric and rubber packing, leather, cotton, rubber and cork, plastics and fluorinated ethylene propylene.

The peculiar gripping action or adherence of the cotton fibres to the roller surface is considered while designing the rollers. The leather surfaces possess interfibrillary action, which enables to adhere the fibre on the surface. This particular property is studied extensively for the different materials and combination of different materials so as to design and fabricate laboratory gin chrome-less rollers for gin roller experimentation device (GRED) and prototype eco-friendly chromeless rollers for existing DR gins. Plate 3 shows Gin Roller Experimentation Device (GRED) while in operation.

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A gin roller Experimentation Device (GRED) 5.20. Future trends in cotton ginning and pressing technologies: The average cotton yield for India during the last year was about 560 Kgs. lint per hectare and out of 90 Lack (9 million) hectares India could produce above 3 Crore (30 million) bales.

The average yield in India was around 300 Kgs. fibre per hectare in the year 20022003 which has rapidly grown to current levels of above 560 Kgs. per hectare during the 2007-2008 and are set to grow further to cross the world average and without any change in the area under cultivation of cotton the quantum may go to 375 Lacs bales if the yield goes to 708 Kgs. lint per hectare by 2012. 34 With the increase in cotton availability, the demand for better quality cotton fibres nearer to that of hand ginned is becoming the challenge before the cotton ginning & pressing machinery manufacture. The optimization of process cost is another challenge to face the intense competition

Thus the ginning has become a very important area to get the edge in the cotton business. In the words of Mr.Roy V. Baker (ARS-USDA Lubbock Texas) and Mr. A. Clyde Griffin Jr. (ARS-USDA Stoneville, Mississippi ―Ginning, in its strictest sense, refers to the process of separating cotton fibres from the seeds. The cotton gin has as its principal function the conversion of a field crop into a salable commodity. Thus, it is the bridge between cotton production and cotton manufacturing.

At one time the sole purpose of cotton gin was to separate fibres from seed. But today's modern cotton gin is required to do much more. To convert mechanically harvested cotton in to a salable product, Gins of today have to dry and clean the seed cotton, separate the fiber from the seed, further clean the fibres and place the fibres in to an acceptable package for commerce. The Cotton Gin actually produces two products 43

with cash value i.e. the fibre and the cotton seed. Cotton seeds are usually sold to cotton oil mills for conversion into a number of important and valuable products, but in some cases they may be saved for planting purpose.

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The Down Packing Single Stage Double Box Doorless High capacity Cotton Baling Presses have provided much needed solution to reduce manpower and contamination for cotton pressing as well as problems related to underground pit of 40' required for up packing manual presses.

Now the complete press is above the ground in the many automated plants where all the maintenance parameters are always under operators watch thereby ensuring trouble free continuous operation. The cotton bales packing has been adopted with full cover from outside the baling ties thereby reducing any chance of entering of dusts etc after packing.

5.20.1. Future Expectation from Ginning and pressing Technologies: The future expectations of technological development in the Cotton Ginning & Pressing Technology may be summarised, as below: 1. To standardize and provide clear understanding about selection of ginning technology suitable to obtain best results.

2. To provide solutions to the areas which are yet to be mechanised.

3. To achieve highest cost efficiency with existing equipments.

The fibre quality being obtained from modernized and automated Ginning & Pressing Plants is much better than the manual setup. Electromechanical Raw Cotton Feeding Screw Conveyor based systems to feed each gin are found to be most suitable as the same are feeding each gin at same time in controlled way to facilitate highest production per ginning machine.

The seed cotton, cotton bales and seed must be stored in fully covered godowns to avoid contaminations and fire hazards. Looking to various parameters, all future ginning plants in India should be fully automatic, composite, high volume, double roller ginning machines with pre and post cleaning and down packing baling 44

press plants with fully covered storages for seed cotton, cotton bales and seeds to achieve best results.

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High efficient double roller gins in one or parallel rows, efficient super cleaners, fibre friendly lint cleaners may prove better due to their well-to-do efficiency.

Now fully automatic, down packing baling presses with online bagging arrangements are being installed in most of the new factories after year 2001. This has resulted in full covering of the bales which finally saves it from contaminants and manpower requirement has come down to 4 persons only.

5.20.2. Use of scanners for contamination removal: Camera and sensor based contamination removal systems have been introduced after the lint cleaner to remove the colour contaminants, which take out all coloured contaminants thereby providing the contamination free cotton to spinning industry.

The Indian Textile Industry is now getting better cotton, thus can produce world-class fabrics and resultant benefits are accruing. It will strengthen further and in all probable the ginning industry would emerge out of its inglorious past and march ahead with pride, by providing world standard cotton lint.

The continuous thrust of Government, research institutes, organizations like Cotton Association of India and machinery manufacturers towards technological developments will prove a driving force for the further improvement of cotton ginning & pressing machinery in future and the Indian Cotton Ginning & Pressing factories will achieve best fibre properties due to gentle ginning technologies at the same time with the matching speed of developed countries.

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5.21. Investment criteria for ginning industries and oil mill: The owners of most of the ginneries are involved in activities other business activities also than ginning because – 1. Ginning is a seasonal activity happening half the year only. Thus one needs to set up an additional business activity for rest of the time and also 2. Assurance of profit is not fixed one due to fluctuation in the cotton crop production and prices also.

While it can be noted that very few gin owners have their own cotton production which they can use for ginning industries. The cost process while running a ginning industry is as follows.

1. The cost of seasonal labour is also the largest cost item in cotton production.

2. Electrical cost is the next most important cost item after labour.

3. Cost for maintenance and repairing of Gins each year.

4. Replacing damaged and old machines.

5. Cost for oil required for pressing of lint to make bale out of it etc.

The total investment for a ginning industry generally goes upto 5 crores including land price (20%), construction cost (25%) and the machineries (50%). For setting up an additional oil mill the price increases upto 30 %. (considering the cost for machineries and the civil work.)

Net profit behind the sale of ginned cotton depend on ginning nature - contract basis or own business. If the owner provides ginnery on the contract basis to merchants who are interested then he gets profit up to 300 rs. behind each bale weighing up to 175 kgs. And if it runs as own business, the profit may goes up to 600 per bale i.e. double. 35

Ginning costs behind each bale of ginned cotton goes to 300 rs. It includes ginning, pressing, labour cost, electricity consumption, packaging material (strips and cloth for packing of bales) etc.

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CASE STUDY

1.

MANJIT COTTON GINNING, PRESSING AND OIL INDUSTRY

Project description : -

Location - Selu Taluqa , dist. Parbahni, Maharashtra.

-

It was established in the year 2006 and spreads over an area of 8.5 acres.

-

It consists of a ginning unit, a pressing machine and an oil mill.

-

It has 48 gins with a total productivity of 51000 quintals per year (1 quintal = 100 kgs)

-

Ginned cotton is supplied to spinning mills in Jalna district.

-

It has an oil mill, which has a capacity of 1200 tones of cotton seeds running per month for making oil from it. One quintal of seed yields about 10 kg oil.

-

One quintal of cotyon yields approximately: o 32 kg cotton o 65 kg cotton seed o 3 kg waste (Stone, dust, impurities etc.)

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-

Daily of 200 quintals of cotton is purchased here from farmers.

-

Total 20 no. of staff and 25 no. of labors are working in the industry.

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Working method of ginning : -

Manjit cotton ginning remains open for months of November to April for every year.

-

It remains totally closed for the months from May to September in every year.

-

Generally in month of October maintenance and repairing works takes place for the gin machines.

Grading and purchasing of cotton : -

In this industry cotton is purchased from farmers and is graded on the basis of moisture content in it.

-

Cotton having moisture 7.3 % is best suitable for ginning process.

-

So cotton with more moisture will contain more water in it and will have less value it terms of price because

-

wet cotton possess more weight for less amount of cotton in it and also

-

it is going to waste their time for letting it dry to get the required moisture content in the raw cotton.

-

So depending on the moisture content cotton is graded and is purchased from farmers at market price.

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Legend : A = Administration building (ground floor) + staff rooms (first floor) – 50 ‗x 44‘ B = Cotton Weighing bridge – 12‘ x 12‘ C = Unloading ground – 280‘ x 200‘ D = Cotton seed storage space (open) – 50‘ x 80‘ E = Storage space for cotton bales (open) – 50‘ x 100‘ F+G = Pressing unit area and ginning area + super cleaner machine - 35‘ x 356‘ H + I = oil mill + storage of waste from oil mill – 50‘ x 320‘ J = gunny bags making area – 25 ‗ x 30 ‗ K = transformer and cubical room – L = labour quarters M = kitchen for labours N = water storage tank for labours use Layout plan of Manjit Cotton Ginning and pressing

O = water storage tank for other uses P = pipe carrying seeds from ginning to oil mill

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Flow chart for processing of ginning and oil mill units Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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Processing of ginning unit in details :

Weighing and grading: •

Cotton picked up from farmlands is brought to the industry by various means i.e. tractors, trucks or bullock carts etc. wrapped in hessian bags.

•

Before purchasing, the raw cotton is weighed and graded depending on the moisture content in it.

•

For this purpose control room is provided near the entrance.

•

Cotton vehicle brought inside is weighed totally first, then again it is weighed after removing of cotton from the particular vehicle. So the cotton is weighed by reducing the 2nd weight from 1st one.

Unloading and heaping : •

Then it is graded as per its moisture content and unloaded to an open platform inside the premises.

•

Then cotton purchased is then unloaded to a platform from which it is moved near to three secondary conveyor belts by a small crane.

•

Unloading of cotton

Conveyor belts leading cotton to inside of factory building

These conveyor belts are fixed with water sprinkler nozzles above it to moisturize the 51

cotton to acquire required moisture content in it.

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Gin machine processing: •

Then this cotton is dropped onto a primary conveyor belt which throws this raw cotton in a sensor machine which moves continuously over the gins.

•

This machine drops the cotton into each gin as per the requirement. The sensor is connected to each of the gin and it alarms when cotton quantity is low in any of gin.

•

Gin separates the cotton seed and lint. Cotton seeds are collected through a pipe and directed to the nearby oil mill in the premises itself.

Cleaning of lint: •

Lint is forwarded to the super cleaner machine which cleans the lint by way of air pressure.

•

In this cleaner all types of dirt and dust is cleaned and is lint is made to lead towards the pressing machine.

•

App. 3% of dust is removed from the total weight of lint.

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Picture showing moving of cotton to Gins

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Picture showing moving of lint to pressing machine Pressing : •

This cleaned lint is then moved on to a pressing machine where cotton lint is pressed with oil pressure and a bale is made out of this compressed lint.

•

For this purpose a deep hole of 15‘ depth is made in which cotton lint is pushed and pressed and bales are made out of it continuously.

Final packaging : •

This bale is then tightened with plastic strips and packed as the final product of cotton ginning.

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•

Bales are weighed and moved on an open ground by means of hand trolleys.

•

Average weight of these bales is 160-170 kgs.

•

Now these bales are ready as raw material for spinning mills.

Pressing machine

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Weighing and moving of bales

Research Paper

Control room for pressin`g unit

2012

Shifting bales to ground

OIL EXTRACTION •

The cotton seeds obtained from ginning are taken to the nearby storage place by means of a pipe which pulls the seeds.

•

Here are 2 cleaner machines which cleans the dust and remaining dirt on the seed and then diverts these cleaned seeds to adjacent oil extraction unit.

•

The delineated seeds are then sent to the oil machine to remove the husk by abrasive mechanism and to make oil out of it.

Cleaned seeds moving to oil machines through this belt

•

Only 10 % oil is made out of the cotton seeds and the deoiled cake is used as food for livestock which is rich in protein.

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•

This oil is filtered by a net below the oil machine and get stored in an underground tank and is transferred to a refinery machine for refining purpose.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

•

2012

Crude oil contains 8-9 % moisture and other impurities, which is treated with caustic lye. Refined oil contains less than 0.1 % moisture. This oil is now edible.

•

This process of refining gives sludge (chotha) as waste product of oil which turns out as raw material for local soap manufacturing.

Cotton seeds running towards oil machine •

Stored oil goes to refinery Refined oil is stored in upper side tanks which are in the same hall.

•

A pipeline is made through these tanks which leads this ready oil into any truck or tank for sale purpose.

Staff area : •

20 No. of staff members are working in the industry. 6 - 7 of the are from local while others are from different places such as Andhra Pradesh, Bihar etc.

•

Rest rooms are provided for this outside staff members. There are total 5 restrooms on the first floor of administration building, each of it containing 2 or 3 beds.

•

As industry is working for 24 hours, dual shifting is divided among the staff members.

•

Rooms are good in condition, well cleaned and maintained. But, only 1 no. of toilet is provided in common for all which is not sufficient after 20 no.‘s.

•

Open terrace area is there which they use as dinning space. Television sets are provided for their entertainment.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

Staff room

Staff common toi.

2012

open terrace are for Staff

Labour quarters : 20 – 25 No. of labour are working in the industry. Out of which only 5-6 are local, others are from different states. 7 rooms are provided for them which are not so well in condition in terms of construction quality and spaces for different uses.

Kitchen is covered by means of some tin patras. It‘s hard to cook there as dimensions are very small for cooking purpose. Generally no one is using this because of its bad condition.

Everyone is making their food in the room premises only making it smoky and dirty.

According to the one of the labour‘s view living there, we don‘t use the kitchen much as it remains very hot during day time even up to 7 o‘clock in the evening time. As outside heat is getting collected by this shade which keeps kitchen very hot and uncomfortable for working.

Due to this reason they are making their food into the rooms only which making it dirty and inhabitable for living. Smoke stays in the room only, due to cooking there. No proper space is provided for washing of clothes or vessels etc. Land is available in plenty nearby the quarters for refreshment but is not maintained as well as not developed well.

56 Labour quarters

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Unhygienic kitchen

Garbage thrown outside the rooms

Research Paper

2012

WASTE MANAGEMENT : •

It may be noted that most of the wastes are used except dust and spent oils and grease from machine.

•

Waste form toilets : – Waste water from toilets of labour quarters goes to soakpits.

– Waste water from toilets of Administration and Staff area goes to municipal waste.

– Waste from kitchen: – Waste from kitchen is thrown with the garbage.

– Rather than throwing, it can be used for biogas plant or composting.

– This biogas plant planned can be used for cooking purpose and also for heating of water. This will also provide employment to locals.

– Or composting manure can be used as fertilizer for landscaping to be developed for labours and staff.

•

Other wastes : - The grease and oil from the machine while the time of cleaning goes away with water

into pipelines making pipes oily and blocking it.

•

In cotton ginning and oil extraction almost every bit is used with little to waste.

•

The use of various types of wastes materials from the industry is shown below.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Use of Waste Materials from Ginning and oil Mill

Sr.No.

Process

Type of waste

Mode of Disposal

1.

Unloading

small bits of Cotton

Burial in the ground

2.

Crushing in gins

Cotton dust, small bits of cotton

Mixed with farmyard manure Used as bedding material for beds and pillows Burial in the ground

3.

Cleaning

-Raw lint(immature cotton) Cotton dust, small bits of cotton,dirt

4.

Pressing

- Cotton dust

-Burial in the ground

- cut parts of plastic strips

-Thrown with the garbage

Cotton dust and small bits of cotton above seeds,

-Mixed with farmyard manure

5.

6.

7.

8.

Oil mill

Oil refining

Husk and deoiled cake sludge

Machine cleaning Used oil and grease, dirt etc.

Handling

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Used bags

For making hard soap

Burning

Resold

Research Paper

2012

WATER MANAGEMENT : During the study, it was noted that no water is used in the ginning process except to moisturize cotton if only it is very dry. And also for oil processing no water is required. To moisturize dry cotton 200-250 litres of water is needed daily which is very small amount as compared with general industrial requirement.

Total amount of water required : – 250 litres to moisturize dry cotton (this is not daily need) – Water required for cleaning purpose is app. 100 litres/day.

– 20 staff + 25 labours + 1 manager = total 46 no.‘s Water requirement for 1 person is 135 litres/day.

Thus for 46 people, 46 x 135 = 6210 litres/day.

Thus, total amount of water required is max. 7000 litres day.

To fulfill this amount of water they have a bore well from which water is drawn and used.

Stormwater : There is no definite system of stormwater drainage. Generally the half of the stormwater goes to unlined ditches finally soaking into ground and remaining half amount is flown away on roads.

Use of waste water : Wastewater from toilets of labour quarters goes to a septic tank and the effluent is soaked in soakpits.

Waste water from kitchen while washing of grains etc. can be used for plantation.

AIR ENVIRONMENT : Air pollution by suspended particulate matter seems to be the dominant cause of concern. Though during the study, it was observed that the almost handling of cotton was by means of automation system, still labours were seen handling cotton by hands at some points.

Emission of dust and bits of cotton is caused by loading and unloading of cotton from ground to conveyor belt, Gins, cleaner and pressing machine. And also while churning of raw cotton by the gins.

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Visual test :

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

•

2012

A visual examination of the filter paper done at site indicated a 3 to 4 mm layer of grey and fluffy deposit of cotton bits and dust. This clearly indicates that this poses a risk of inhalation to the workers.

Cotton dust: -

Cotton dust is defined as dust present in the air during the handling or processing of cotton. It may contain a mixture of many substances including ground up plant matter, fiber, bacteria, fungi, soil, pesticides, non cotton plant matter and other contaminants which may have accumulated with the cotton during the growing, harvesting and subsequent processing or storage periods.

Classification of Cotton Dust: 1. Inhalable Dust: It is a term used to describe dust that is hazardous when deposited anywhere in the respiratory tree including the mouth and nose.

2. Thoracic Dust: It is defined as those materials that are hazardous when deposited anywhere within the lung airways and the gas exchange region.

Respirable Dust: Respirable dust is defined as that fraction of the dust reaching alveolar region of the lungs.

AIR MANAGEMENT : •

Permissible exposure limit for cotton dust in ginning area is 200 micrograms per cubic meter.

•

The exposure limit for cotton dust found in the studied ginning industry were vary high compared to the standard norms provided.

•

The unit reported that workers were supplied with face masks to protect them from pollution but no one was seen wearing them. However, only a few were seen covering their noses with cloth. It seems likely that workers would rather use wet handkerchiefs to

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cover their noses during high summer.

Ambient Air Quality in Ginning Room Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Dust Control Measures: • Monitoring of cotton dust concentration in the occupational environment • Provide medical surveillance to the cotton dust exposed workers • Establishing safe working practices to reduce the exposure level • providing Training and education skills for workers • Engineering controls to reduce the emission • Use of face masks Generation of the Cotton Dust during Manufacturing: •

Major problem of cotton dust exists - near Gins where churning of cotton happens - near super cleaner machine - cleaning of equipment and surfaces - Cleaning of floors with compressed air.

- Insufficient ventilation system.

- accumulation of raw cotton on open ground.

- follow-up in covering the material leads to dust form e.g. the time of packing bales.

- Improper handling skills - Poor working procedures and cleaning methods.

• Exposure level in other areas is comparatively not much.

Dust control technologies: •

Dust suckers can be provided into the main ginning operational areas such as ginning hall, super cleaner machine, pressing unit, oil mill unit, etc. so the dust will be collected into dust pockets and these pockets can be emptied in a container safely.

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•

Similar dust suckers can be placed on a pole on open ground (where cotton purchased from farmers is unloaded ) to avoid the penetration of cotton dust into fresh air.

•

Exhaust fans should placed near each area of ginning hall, pressing unit, and oil unit.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Preventive measures to be followed during manufacturing process.

General practices: • Usage of compressed air for cleaning purposes should be prohibited when other means of cleaning are possible. employees performing the cleaning must wear respirators.

• All other employees not involved with the cleaning must leave the area.

• Floor sweeping will be done by vacuum or other methods designed to minimize the breathing of dust.

• Waste will be handled by mechanical means. Manual handling should be limited as much as possible.

• Ventilation systems should be inspected regularly.

Work practices during Material handling and cleaning: • Cotton, Cotton waste and materials containing cotton dust should be stacked or handled properly in such a way that will reduce dust level.

• Brooms should be used properly so that dust will be controlled and vacuum cleaners should be used wherever dust control is difficult.

• When cleaning machines with brushes or cloths, the individual doing the cleaning should stroke the waste from top to bottom as far from the face as possible. Surfaces should not be beaten or fanned during cleaning.

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• Waste should be placed in the corresponding waste storage container immediately before accumulating in the floor.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

• Waste container or waste transport containers should be placed in the respective places such that disturbance creating by any means would be avoided.

• Waste receptacles should not be overfilled such that material spills to the floor during storage or transport to the waste godown.

• The storage area and the covers should be periodically cleaned to prevent lint and dust accumulation.

• The CCLC rollers used in ginning mills are ground to powder during the ginning operation and enter the environment as chrome-specific dust (CSD) during the processing of lint.

• The ginned lint becomes contaminated with 140 to 1,994 mg/kg (ppm) of chromium and the spun yarns with 17 to 500 ppm, far above the safe limit of 0.1 ppm (MOEF, 1996).

Since semi-finished chrome leather washers, which contain 3% to 4% chromium should be used by roller ginning mills.

• It has been argued that the air pollution due to chrome-specific dust (CSD) and cotton dust is responsible for synergistic health complications (chromium-based diseases and byssinosis) among gin and mill workers.

• It was noticed while talking with the manager that diameter of the rollers used was decreased to some extent due to continuous use of it. Thus, it is cleared that chrome based rollers used are polluting environment and is a danger for health of the workers working constantly near it.

• Although the initial cost of the RCF roller is four times that of the CCLC roller, this high price is compensated by benefits. The RCF roller is durable, with an estimated life of seven years (compared to a few months for CCLC rollers), and has the following additional advantages: o Negligible wear and tear and very low maintenance requirements. o Output is about twice that of CCLC rollers because the RCF roller has a surface finish conducive to high ginning efficiency during the processing of eco lint colour cottons. o Electrical energy consumption is reduced. o Noise level is reduced by 4 to 7 dB(A) due to inherent properties and cushioning effects 63

(table 4).

Eco-friendly cotton and cotton by-products are produced i.e. chrome-free cotton lint.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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2012

ENERGY MANAGEMENT : Cotton industries are are seasonal runnning for half of the year. It generally starts in th month of November and works till March or April. Its working mainly depends on the production of cotton, if its higher then Ginning may run upto April month.

Though ginning is not running all the year, oil mill is running throughout the year. As there are various ginnings which don‘t have their own oil mill, so they sale cotton seeds drawn from their ginning. The consumption is higher for the months December to March as production is higher in these months. Thus consumption is different for different seasons.

Consumption for different months for Manjit cotton ginning : •

Electricity units consumed for the months December to April = 2,00,000 – 2,10,000 units

•

Electricity units consumed for the months May to August = 1,00,000 – 1,20,000 units

•

Electricity units consumed for the months Sept and October = 1,00,000 – 1,40,000 units (as maintenance and repairing work is going on for these months)

•

Thus, average consumption for overall year : 1,45,000 units – 1,60,000 units

•

Diverting government electric source to renewable source will not be so effective as owner doesn‘t prefer it for his seasonal occupation.

While its hard to recover all the amount by renewable energy sources we can go for renewable energy for admin and staff rooms are and also for labour quarters and street lighting.

NOISE ENVIRONMENT : •

Noise is commonly define das unwanted sound.

•

As far as noise was concerned, no one was seen using any protective device like earmuffs or earplugs. Though noise levels are not so high, continuous bombarding of this level may cause harm. So its better to take preventions.

•

Noise monitoring was done with handheld noise level meter. The noise level was found fairly steady on running particular numbers of machines. It is as given below.

•

The following chart gives recommended limits of noise exposure for the number of hours exposed.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

Ambient Noise Level in Cleaning & Ginning Areas

65

Location

Status of equipment operation

Noise Level dB(A)

cleaning Hall

At 5 m from the machine

68

Ginning Hall

4 gins running

90-92

6 gins running

92-94

8 gins running

94

12 gins running

96-96

16 gins running

96-98

All 48 gins running

110-112

While pressing the lint

80-86

Pressing unit area

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

2012

Research Paper

2012

NOISE ENVIRONMENT •

Noise is commonly defined as unwanted sound.

•

As far as noise was concerned, no one was seen using any protective device like earmuffs or earplugs. Though noise levels are not so high, continuous bombarding of this level may cause harm. So its better to take preventions.

•

Noise monitoring was done with handheld noise level meter. The noise level was found fairly steady on running particular numbers of machines. It is as given below.

Engineering methods to reduce Noise : •

The best method of noise control is at the source. This can be done by the manufacture, through engineering changes on the source itself.

•

To put a silencer on the machine instead of ear protectors on the workers ; preventing or reducing impact between machine parts

•

reducing speeds gently between forward and reverse movements; so that when rollers from Gins are rotating it can make little noise

•

insulated air compressors. The principle is that the noise should be contained under the hood. The hood is made of hard material with a soft, absorbent lining

•

noise should be deflected away from work areas with a sound-insulating or reflecting barrier

•

sound-absorbent materials should be used, if possible, on walls, floors and ceilings

•

Regular maintenance, lubrication and replacement of worn or defective parts can also be effective ways to reduce noise levels

•

Workers wearing earplugs or earmuffs can protect themselves.

Earmuffs are better option than earplugs.

Some other measures for noise reduction in ginning industries : •

Since the gins produce a lot of noise due to inbuilt technology, it would be advisable that the machines are so placed and are fed by mechanized means so that no person needs to be constantly present near the machines. Thus, the machines can be placed at a higher platform near the roof having no side walls so that the noise is dispersed outside.

• 66

The ginned cotton can be collected at a lower level platform by means of chutes and ducts for filling gunny bags to form bales.

•

The machines producing noise can be kept at a distance from the raw and ginned cotton handling area so as to keep noise source away from main working area of workers.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

•

Acoustical treatments in the gin hall building may result in considerable noise reduction.

•

It is suggested to replace all the existing noise making roller machines by modern roller machines, which produce noise within reasonable limits and provide the pneumatic handling system to avoid dust level pollution.

• ERGONOMICS – LABOUR STANDARDS •

The term "ergonomics" is derived from two Greek words: "ergon," meaning work, and "nomoi," meaning natural laws. Ergonomists study human capabilities in relationship to work demands. 1

•

Ergonomics is the scientific study of relationship between a person and his/her working environment. The term environment includes his/her tools and materials, his/her method of work, ambient conditions and physical environment of work, and also the organization of work. 2

•

Thus ergonomic programmes aim to ensure that workers are protected against occupational injuries and that the environment in which they operate is comfortable.

Operational areas and ergonomic hazards identified in the studied industry : •

Unloading of cotton – -When cotton is unloaded manually from trucks, bullock carts etc. , workers are loading

it by hands with lots of pressure on body and sometimes in hot summer also.

-Also when cotton is moved manually by means of push only to a gin machine, workers have to push it by hands.

-workers while lifting up livestock in gunny bags and shifting it to trucks n tempos etc.

-Moving of prepared cotton bales by hand moving cart to the storage place. Each bale weigh upto 175 kgs. There is a great deal of manual handling of the bales in order to get them aligned, resulting in considerable bending, turning and twisting of the operator‘s body.

•

This process leads to improper postures of workers and leads to physical imperfectness.

Continuous held with wrong postures also lead to some permanent illness like bends in spine etc.

67 1

2

http://ergonomics.org http://www.icar.org.in/node/909

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

•

2012

Use of trolleys is the best solution to avoid these kind of postures among workers while working.

•

or else there must be a raised platform above the ground for storing of filled gunny bags making workers in most comfortable position while lifting up the gunny bags.

Worker doing some welding work while repairing a machine part.

- This process was going on in the building only making fire sparkles which causes problems if contacted with eye or body.

- And also he is doing this work without any safety measures like sunglasses to protect eye, etc. and work Accidents in the pole. industry : is goinghappened on near electric •

Due to improper skills and knowledge sometimes workers are got hurtled and still no proper training system is given.

•

While talking to the manager, he told about 2 incidents happened in last two years.

-

While cotton was moving from conveyor belt it get trapped at some part of the

belt. A worker tried to remove it without turning off the belt and got his hand grabbed. While he lost his hand no one was there nearby him so, he only came inside shouting to turn off the belt and after a while, half an hour was unconscious.

A worker get harmed while trying to remove cotton seeds from rotating blades moving it to another place in oil mill. And they have put these type of blades in extras to replace the damaged 68

one immediately. These blades were found in outside premises which may herm if someone falls on it.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2.

2012

BIHANI AND BINAYAKE COTTON INTEX

Project description : Location - Selu Taluqa , dist. Parbahni, Maharashtra.

It was established in the year 2000 and spreads over an area of 6 acres. It consists of two ginning units and a pressing machine. It has 16+18 gins with a total productivity of 40,000 quintals per year (1 quintal = 100 kgs). It has two ginning units, the older one constructed in year 2000 and the newer one set up in 2006. Older unit consists of manual work more while compared to newly set up unit. Newly set up is organized more with automation system and new technologies. Daily of 170-180 quintals of cotton is purchased here from farmers. Ginned cotton is supplied to spinning mills in Jalna district. Workers employing are from different states and some local also. Twenty no. of Staff and fifty labours are working in this industry. Firstly they had one ginning unit with a cleaner room and pressing unit, all placed differently in different areas. after six years they decided for one unit more and added it to near pressing machine room.

Total investment for the project goes around 6.5 crores. Industry is in partbership between Mr. Binayake and Mr. Bihani, both the owners from Selu. It is one of the oldest cotton industry in Selu Taluka.

PROCESSING : Processing for the newly established unit is same as of Manjit Cotton industry's ginning unit. This industry mainly differs by its old ginning unit and its manual work system and a suction system provided for further moving of cotton from ground area. There are largely two differences between ginning unit of previously studied Manjit cotton industry and BBC‘s old ginning unit. These are described below. After unloading and heaping of cotton purchased from farmers it is laid on a ground where suction system is provided for sucking of the raw cotton by GI ducts. This suction system has one drawback that it sucks more dust and dirt from air with the raw cotton than the conveyor belt system.

Suction 69

system

provided

near

unloading platform of cotton purchased.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Research Paper

2012

Site layout These GI ducts move forward the sucked cotton onto a hopper having openings on gin heads. This manual method of feeding the gins was adopted by discharging headload into the top mounted machine hopper.

Here raw cotton is heaped again and these heaps are to be thrown by workers onto gin machines. Due to absence of sensor machine labours are doing this type of work which is really heavy to push such large bundle of cotton. Women pushing cotton here were not using any kind of safety measure like face masks etc. though they were handling cotton so nearly.

Findings and measures : •

Condition of labour quarters was more or less same as compared to MCI. But here good thing is these are placed somewhat away from industry area.

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•

Staff quarters were also in unhealthy condition.

•

Similarly, no site development was done for greenery and other measures. only the thing is benches were provided for workers for resting but not the shaded one.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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2012

Cotton unloading ground is so unleveled that its very hard to walk over it and labours have to go through this for moving of cotton from one loaded place to suction point of pipes.

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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2012

Also labour quarter is provided right behind the oil mill unit. This pushes cotton dust to the quarter from openings provided. No site development is done in terms of greenery and landscaping. It may act as recreation for labours and may help them to come out from dusty environment.

Staff quarters

Electricity cables hanging around the premises

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Labour quarters

Unleveled ground for loading

Unusable machines partswere laid on the open ground which possesses sharp blades may cause harm to someone.

Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

Cotton dust in premises

Gin machine rollers kept open and in middle of path while cleaning of it

Spare parts are there which are openly laid and also open to rain causing it defective.

Research Paper

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Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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CONCLUSION :

Marathwada region is home to many agricultural industries such as sugar industry, fertilizer, textiles, pulp and paper, steel, pharmaceuticals etc. industrial development is a continuous happening now day-by-day. Each industrial activity arising different environmental problems and the nature of emission and effluents from industries are varied and industry specific.

Industrial pollution is should be a concern at planning and designing level only. The role of government in setting and enforcing regulations is also key for minimizing the potential environmental impact. Consultation with local communities and stakeholders is also an essential element of good environmental management.

The report work shows that no industry has taken prevention and precaution measures for dust control and labour safety. Planning is not done only for circulation comfort but, it should also include innovations to control polluting actions. Energy management, land management, ergonomics etc. should be given more importance rather ignoring it in design stage.

In my thesis, I will design an industrial layout with consideration of all the above factors and innovative techniques to reduce labour work and dust pollution. The project will try to gain maximum energy efficiency while not overlooking the main architectural part of it.

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References :

1. http://www.breakingnewsonline.net/features/8701-industrial-pollution-in-india-a-bitterreality.html 2. http://www.apitco.org/Profiles/Profiles%20PRS/Ginning%20Mill.pdf 3. http://ec.europa.eu/environment/emas/about/enviro_en.html 4. www.cottoncrc.org.au/communities/Cotton_Info/Fun_facts 5. Pdf - More Sustainable Cotton Production 6, 7. Source- owner of TCI, Walur, Dist.Parbahini

8. BT-cotton India - pdf 9. Pdf - Bayer CropScience‘s contribution to sustainable cotton production 10. http://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/Supply-Chain-Insights/India-Second-Country-OfCotton-08-09/ 11. Source : department of agriculture foreign agriculture services, production, supply and distribution database.

12. http://lifestylemonitor.cottoninc.com/Supply-Chain-Insights/India-Second-Country-OfCotton-08-09/India-Second-Country-Of-Cotton-08-09.pdf 13. Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 14. Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 15 Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 77

16. Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 17. Cotton corporation India Ltd 2009 Suchita Toshniwal | M.arch (E.A)

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18. Indian Dept. of Commerce 2007/08 data 19. Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 20. Cotton incorporated supply chain – insights – Aug2009 21 . Growth prospects of cotton and textile industries in India 22. http://www.organiccotton.org/oc/Cotton-general/Impact-of-cotton/Risk-of-cottonfarming.php 23. inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/cotton_gin.htm 24 . www.whitneydesign.com 25. www.whitneydesign.com/ 26. www.whitneydesign.com/ 27. www.bajajngp.com/images/technical/3rd.pdf 28. www.bajajngp.com/images/technical/3rd.pdf 29.

www.bajajngp.com/images/technical/3rd.pdf

30.http://www.ecacwb.org/editor_upload/files/Comprehensive%20Industry%20Document%2 0on%20 Ginning%20Industry.pdf 31. courtesy of the USDA-ARS Southwestern Cotton Ginning Research Laboratory 32. www.lummus.com/tech_sentinel_lint.pdf 33. ismenvis.nic.in/My_Webs/Digital_Library/gs16.htm 34. Environmental Impact Studies Of Chrome Rollers Used By Cotton Roller Ginning Industries And Design And Development Of Pollution Free Chromeless Rcf Rollers 35. As per the discussion with ginning owners

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