Textiles and Dyes

Finally I was there, at the textile dye industry in Kanpur. The sign outside the big fence said "Agmotex". This industry was found in the outskirts of Kanpur. The area is more or less an old textile hub where about 3000 000 people work. The main process in this area is the leather industry. Agmotex employ about 300 people, mostly men due to the uncomfortable working hours, I was told. Agmotex is run 24 to 7. And yes, women can't work on these conditions. It is quite simple to understand, no?


"Hello Agmotex. My name is Linda and I am here to visit you today. I hope you don't mind?"





Before introducing you further for Agmotex, I would like to give you another input about the textile industry that really doesn't involve IIT in Kanpur or my work here in India:
During the last two years, I have more and more realized that the global textile industry is rather complicated when labour rights are discussed. I am now refering to low wages, long working hours and no existence of collective bargain or rights to join a union. This can be the reality in many textile industries in the South today (the developing countries), and especially in the free trade zones that exist in more than 160 countries, the majority being in the South, and which employed almost 50 million of peolpe in 2002. ( In 1975, only 2000 people worked in these free trade zones!) My purpose wasn't to write about free trade zones, but it can be interessting to know when the complexity of textile production is discussed.

On my last visit to India in June I got the chance to meet oragnisations working against this reality as well as traditional producers where the labour rights weren't fulfilled.


This picture is taken on a visit in a textile industry in Tirupur in June 2007. Tirupur is a city in the southern Tamil Nadu district called the Knits Capital of India as it caters to famous brands and retailers from all over the world. SAVE, the organisation that we met is trying to inform textile workers about their rights.


Well, that was one side of the story about the global textile industry. I will now try to explain the other side which explains a little bit better why I am here at IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) in Kanpur, India. The other side involves the environment. I know you are dying to know more and hold on, the story will continue. I will therefore take you back to Agmotex in Kanpur and explain why I visited this textile dye industry a couple of days ago. First of all, a brief explanation:

1. Textiles come in different colours. [if you understand, continue to number 2 and continue like this til you reach the end. When you stop understanding, skip this numbered column text and glance at the picture in the end of this section]
2. Addition of colours involves a process in a textile dye industry.
3. Colour is added with chemicals. Oh yes, it is. No pens or ink is used. As far as I know..
4. The chemicals are designed to be persistent, since we (the consumers) want the colour to last in our clothes for a long time. No one likes faded colours?
5. A persistent structure of a chemical is difficult to degrade. Receiving water bodies, such as lakes and rivers will therefore experience a remarkable colouring and environmental problems can arise.
6. The environmental problems are partly due to a reduced oxygen concentration in the recieving waters where unfavourable anaerobic conditions (no oxygen) can kill aerobic organisms (oxygen liking organisms).
7. (Additional information) I read somewhere that about 30% of the added dye stuff is discharged into the waste water.
   The day for my visit at Agmotex, the wastewater was (to my surprise?) coloured... I don't know if you manage to see this on the attached picture? Well, to your information, the water is red/purple.

Before collecting any waste water (that was actually the main purpose for my visit at Agmotex as far as I am concerned), we (my supervisor and I) had an informative and pleasant tour in the hot and steamy industry (dye processes create high temperatures and steamy surroundings)

This is blue textile.
This guy doesn't have a tatoo but a rubber band round his arm. His textile is not the very same as on the previous picture...


To the right: Rolls with black and red textiles, I start to understand why my waste water is purple (red+blue+black=purple?)


To the left: Does anyone know what this machine is used for? The person giving me the correct answer will be awarded with an Indian treasure on my return.

When our tour was finished my supervisor kindly turned to the manager's interpretor and asked.

- Would it be possible to collect some waste water today?
The man didn't understand what my supervisor was saying and the conversation therefore switched to Hindi. My supervisor repeated the question:
- ha bala abdjsak ahdaskasahksalsal? [I don't find the Indian alphabeth on this keyboard, sorry]
The man looked a little suprised, took off his glasses and dried his forehead with a napkin, in an attempt to release himself from the heat that the surrounding machines caused. He glanced at the manager, sitting i a room nearby which had a pretty good view of us, the strangers. The man hesitated for a minute or two and finally said, with a sombre expression:
- We don't want any legals to be involved.
- Of course not, my supervisor said and laughed friendly. We are only doing research, no legals will be concerned, I can assure you that.
The man looked relieved and told us to follow him to the very other side of the factory.

Puh, that wasn't too difficult? Hindi rules. I will try and learn some for upcoming excursions... tatadam, have a look at these pictures my friends:

This ile runs just outside the factory and from this point, the waste water is collected in a pond nearby which I never had the chance to see. Next point is the treatment plant and the water is hereafter used for irrogation (Who wants to eat these cultivated veggies?). If the treatment plant degrades the polluted waste water is still doubted and questioned by the author herself.

This is the first contact with the outside of the industry... Steamy, ha?

.

Me and Ashok (my supervisor) collect waste water

I collect waste water myself (you find the picture blurry, well, our driver and in this case the photographer, wasn't told about the focus settings, sorry) But it is me.

I will have to go out and catch some sun now. Someone told me there is a swimmingpool nearby and I think I discovered it when jogging the other day. Have still no news about the running team, will have to get back to you about that.

Otherwise, keep rocking and keep commenting. I really like to hear from you!

sweat and warmth

/Lindis