Sustainable Practices and Performances of Dairy Effluent Treatment in India

As a major consumer of water, the dairy industry generates substantial effluent, making it one of the most polluting industrial sectors. Despite regulatory measures, many Dairy Effluent Treatment Plants (DETPs) fail to achieve optimal outcomes, resulting in excessive sludge generation, missed resource recovery opportunities, and adverse environmental impacts, questioning the overall sustainability of the functioning DETPs. The existing literature primarily focuses on technical or policy aspects, often neglecting the factors of industrial decision-making that influence effluent management. Addressing this gap, the study aims to evaluate the sustainability practices and performance of DETPs in India by investigating the key factors driving industries to make decisions on their DETPs, how sustainable the current functioning DETPs are, and what improvement measures are required. Through a systematic literature review, field surveys, focus group discussions, and case studies conducted on four dairy industries in West Bengal and Gujarat, the research identifies nine critical factors impacting DETP sustainability. These factors were validated with stakeholders from the respective dairy firms and further analysed through performance assessments of functioning DETPs. The study highlights that effluent treatment, ancillary to dairy operations, often relies on external expertise, resulting in energy-intensive processes, poor nutrient recovery, and site-specific inefficiencies. These findings underscore that technological understanding and decision-support tools are pivotal for sustainable DETP management. By integrating technical, economic, environmental, and social dimensions, the study presents a novel framework to guide stakeholders in improving resource recovery, optimising energy use, and implementing responsible effluent management practices. This comprehensive approach bridges regulatory compliance with practical sustainability, fostering improved environmental and operational outcomes.