Paper industry cuts water usage by 80%, invests Rs 25K crore in sustainable processes: IPMA

The paper industry in the country has cut down water consumption by 80 per cent and looks to reduce it further as investments of Rs 25,000 crore have been made in sustainable production processes in the last few years, an industry body said on Monday.

The Indian Paper Manufacturers Association (IPMA) in a statement said that several industry players have taken environment-friendly measures to reduce their carbon and water footprint.

The players have deployed modern technology solutions and captive power generation to achieve water and energy efficiency, it said in a statement.

"Integrated paper mills have reduced water usage to 40 cubic meters to produce a tonne of paper from the earlier 200 cubic meters. There is a concerted effort to bring it down further," IPMA President Pawan Agarwal said.

"Indian Paper Industry has invested to the tune of Rs 25000 crore in sustainable production processes and capacities in the last few years," Agarwal said.

Agarwal said the paper industry has reduced power consumption and integrated plants are producing 40 per cent of electricity by utilising the biomass from the pulping process.

The IPMA president claimed that the paper industry has been one of the top-performing sectors under the government's PAT (perform achieve trade) scheme under the National Mission for Enhanced Energy Efficiency (NMEEE).

On sourcing of key raw material, wood, Agarwal said the paper industry has tuned 'wood positive' as more trees have been grown than harvested for pulp making.

"The industry has worked incessantly with over 5 lakh marginal farmers over the last several years and has successfully brought 12 lakh hectares of largely degraded land under plantations," the IPMA said.