Molasses-based distilleries are one of the most polluting industries generating large volumes of high strength wastewater. Different
processes covering anaerobic, aerobic as well as physico-chemical methods have been employed to treat this effluent. Anaerobic
treatment is the most attractive primary treatment due to over 80% BOD removal combined with energy recovery in the form of biogas.
Further treatment to reduce residual organic load and color includes various: (i) biological methods employing different fungi, bacteria
and algae, and (ii) physico-chemical methods such as adsorption, coagulation/precipitation, oxidation and membrane filtration