Orchid's K.Raghavendra Rao believes in sharing his environmental practices with others The greenery around Orchid Chemicals' factory, at Chennai, does not go beyond a waterfall and a patch of grass. But Orchid has done more than its share of protecting the environment. The factory has become akin to a tourist spot; corporate delegations are the chief visitors-wondering how so much got done with so little water. Managing Director, K. Raghavendra Rao does not believe that competitors will steal his secrets if he lets them in. ''If they learn good environment practices from us, the country will benefit,'' he says. It is not just companies, even CII makes Orchid its destination for training in ecological practices.

For Orchid, being clean and green is not just driven by value, it is essential for operations, too. Thus, the company threw merely a cursory glance at the pitiful effluent treatment support provided by the SIDCO industrial estate and went about building its own. Had it not done so, the company could not have expanded production year after year (100 tonnes in 1993, to 700 tonnes in the last count).

Orchid is also the youngest company to get an ISO 14001 certification. Rao himself oversees the internal audit department on a monthly basis, while the ISO team comes once in six months. However, the company has some complaints against the governmental agencies. For instance, Rao feels that solid inorganic wastes, which are nothing but salts, could be let out into the sea, as this will not damage the environment. However, the government does not allow this, as it feels that this facility can be misused. ''Hence, we have created our own space,'' he says. ''In fact, the State PCB took 50 per cent of our initial investment as caution deposit, and it has still not returned it.''

In liquid management, Orchid has gone beyond the norms of international requirement to absolute zero discharge of effluents. ''Essentially, the process has been divided into two: a system treating effluent containing low salts and low organics and a system which treats high levels of impurities,'' says Rao. An important provision made is in the shape of 'elevated ponds', which can hold effluent water for treatment.

All potential pollutants arising from manufacturing processes are trapped within a closed system for effective neutralisation. Water usage is doled out even for canteen and toilets. There are no water coolants in the company, resulting in savings of 300 cubic metres a day. The waste heat recovery is about 87 per cent.

''Four years ago, we had the same amount of effluents and today too, we have the same, despite manifold production capacity expansion,'' says S. Mani, gm (Engineering, Environment, Health, & Safety). The additional 150 cubic metre leeway gives room for more production. The highly efficient solvent recovery systems result in savings of Rs 90 lakh of methylene chloride, Rs 10 lakh each of acetone and methanol, and Rs 32 lakh of ammonia.

Orchid will continue to enhance its ecological activities. Its R&D has been given mandate in devising improvements, which are not merely cost-effective, but also eco-friendly.