Phosphate-rich detergents also to blame for froth in water bodies
NEW DELHI : The National Green Tribunal on Wednesday banned all industries around Bellandur lake and fixed a fine of ₹5 lakh on anyone found dumping waste in or around the lake. The Bellandur lake and its sister Varthur lake on the outskirts of Bengaluru have been regularly bursting into froth in the past decade.
Industrial pollution is only part of the problem. Undertreated sewage of around 500 million litres flows into the Bellandur lake every day. However, it is not just the sewage, but also the detergent flowing into the lake that contributes to the froth.
India continues to use detergents with phosphates, which have been banned in many parts of the world for being detrimental to the health of water bodies. India regulates the phosphate content in detergents, poorly some would argue, but has not banned it.
TV Ramachandra, a professor at the Indian Institute of Science in Bengaluru who was part of an expert committee set up to look into the issue by the Karnataka government, believes increased use of detergents with phosphates is a problem, but it can be tackled by increasing public awareness and banning the sale of certain kinds of detergents.
Increasing population pressure, the ubiquity of washing machines in urban India and larger amounts of detergent being used by households, have come together to create the slimy foamy disaster that is Bellandur lake. Of the 1,800 households surveyed in eastern Bengaluru, where the lake is located, about 40% of families were using as much as 5 kg of detergent a month, said Ramachandra.
Many of the popular detergents used in India have high levels of phosphates. “Some multinational companies make phosphate-free detergent but they export it. In India, they sell phosphate-rich detergent,” Ramachandra said.
The laundry detergent market in India is worth an estimated ₹ 20,000 crore and growing by all accounts. P&G said all its brands in India – Ariel, Tide Plus and Tide Naturals, are “phosphatefree.” Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) that owns Surf Excel, Rin, and Wheel brands, and dominates with a market share of nearly 40%, declined to comment.
Consumer Voice, a consumer action group, tested 14 popular brands in India in 2015. Henko Matic, Henko Stain Champion, Super Nirma Blue and Uni Wash had added phosphate in the range of 3.2 % to 5.4, they found. The numbers may vary, but it is clear that many detergents in India are not phosphate-free..