There are 15 distilleries in Tamil Nadu under operation. The distillery effluent (mainly spent wash) is dark brown in colour and acidic in nature. It contains high percentage of dissolved organic, inorganic matter and potassium. Till year 2000 these units had disposed the partly treated effluent on land as fertilizer and stored in lined lagoon for solar evaporation. Due to the above practice public complaints were often received against the odour nuisance and groundwater pollution. At present almost all the distilleries are applying the bio-methanation treated effluent 50-60% for bio composting, balance in dry lands and in the cultivated lands with proper dilution as liquid fertilizer as per CPCB protocol.