Industrial effluent, a major contributor to river pollution, can be made safer by emphasizing the use of organic elements and a slower but steadier rate of discharge during the manufacturing process, experts said.

This was stated today at a programme titled, "Meeting on NGO-Business Partnership on Environment," organized by Save the Environment Foundation (SEF) and the United States-Asia Environmental Partnership (USAEP).

Experts also said that it was not only industrial waste, but also domestic effluent which contributes to river pollution. For instance, says Toran Sharma of the Nepal Environmental and Scientific Services (NESS)," domestic effluent accounts for 85 percent of the pollution in the Bagmati river."

"If industrial effluent which is blamed for the remaining 15 percent pollution of the river can be minimized by the method of using organic elements, the area to improve upon will be the inhabitants of the metropolis alone...not industrialists," he said.

A recent NESS study has shown that the Bagmati river water is "highly polluted and not suitable even for irrigation purpose."

According to Lewis Mohoney, consultant to SEF for the General Paper Industry (GPI), "If only five percent of the waste water generated by factories is discharged slowly and steadily, and diluted constantly with fresh water, chances of pollution becomes nil."

"Recycling water in paper industries not only saves water but also saves the environment," said Mohoney adding, "the solution to pollution is dilution."

Mohoney has worked for Bansbari-based GPI which was honoured with the Green Award—awarded once in every two years by SEF—for being selected as "The Best Industry for Environmental Concern" in 1996. GPI has been producing handmade papers and handicrafts since more than a decade.

Says Milan Bhattarai with GPI, "We use organic colours to dye the paper. This has helped to make the water we discharge less hazardous and less contaminated than the discharge of other factories. According to him, the water that is discharged even serves as manure or conditioner for the cultivation of farms.

Also speaking today at the programme, SEF official Chan Rana suggested that other factories too should follow the GPI way. Not only the paper factories, but also other factories like carpet and cotton have to give priority to the concept of eco-friendly industrialization.