The textile industry is one of the oldest and largest industrial sectors in India and our country is the second largest producer of textile and garment next to China. The textile industry in India constitutes one of the country’s major export sectors. India makes a major contribution to world trade in cotton yarn, accounting for
some 25% of the total.
The textile industry is water and labor intensive and produces pollutants of different forms. The manufacturing operation also generates vapors during dyeing, printing and curing of dye or color pigments. Dust emission is associated with fiber processing/boiler operation. Other than these process operations, textile mills have wood, coal or oil fired boilers and thermic fluid heaters which are point emission sources. Major environmental issues in textile industry result from wet processing. Wet processes may be carried out on yarn or fabric. The transformation of raw cotton to final usable form involves different stages.