| File Note: |
It is submitted that the industry is an existing cement grinding unit which falls under red category and is a small scale unit. The industry was earlier granted consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 vide nos. CTOW/Varied/MOG/2019/9394302 and CTOA/Varied/MOG/2019/9394069 dated 21.02.2019, respectively for production of Cement @ 100 TPD (only grinding process) by using Clinker, Gypsum, Flyash @ 100 TPD as raw material, subject to the conditions mentioned therein, valid upto 30.06.2023 each.
The industry was visited by then EE alongwith the AEE of this office on 26.11.2022 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry has installed 2 no. ball mills of capacity of 100 TPD and 50 TPD. During visit, only one ball mill of capacity 50 TPD was operational i.e. the industry is operating beyond the consented capacity of 100 TPD, without obtaining permission / NOC from the Board.
2. The industry has not provided plantation along its boundary wall.
3. No stack has been provided with DG set of capacity 25 KVA.
In view of above, industry has been issued show cause notice before revocation / cancellation of consents to operate under the Water Act, 1974 & Air Act, 1981 alongwith an opportunity of personal hearing on 16.12.2022.
During hearing, Sh. Ashwani Sharma, Director of the industry submitted written reply of show cause notice issued to it and the same has been taken on record. He stated that during visit by the officer of the Board, no authorized person was available at site, as such accurate information could not be made available to the visiting officer of the Board. He further stated that only 2 cement grinding mills as permitted by the Board, have been installed and the total production capacity is less than / equal to 100 TPD, DG set has been provided with adequate stack height and planted more trees along the boundary wall. During hearing, he submitted the production record of cement from April, 2022 to November, 2022.
After hearing the Director of the industry as well as officer of the Board, it has been decided that Regional Office, Faridkot shall immediately visit the industry to verify the submissions / compliance (s) made by the Director of the industry and thereafter submit report / recommendations within 10 days.
The proceedings were conveyed to the industry for compliance of hearing decisions vide Zonal Office letter no. 6064 dated 30.12.2022.
Thereafter, the industry was visited by AEE of this office alongwith ASO from Head Office, Patiala on dated 26.05.2023 and it was found that the unit was in operation. Only new ball mill was in operation and air emission of the same was collected. Old ball mill was not in operation. During visit, sample has been collected from the port hole on stack after APCD and sent to Head Office lab, Patiala for analysis. As per analysis report, the concentration of Particulate Matter was found to be 17 mg/Nm3, which is within permissible limit as prescribed by the Board.
Now, the industry has applied for renewal of consents to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 for production of Cement @ 100 TPD (only grinding process) by using Clinker, Gypsum, Flyash @ 100 TPD as raw material.
The industry has submitted an undertaking, which states as under:-
“It is submitted that there has been no change in the production capacity of our industry, it has remained same as earlier @ 100 TPD production. The increase in the gross fixed assets, machinery is due to replacement of default parts and addition of auxiliary machinery in our premises. The increase in building head is due to increase in the renovation of shed and office area.”
The industry has submitted CA certificate dated 14.08.2023, showing value of gross fixed assets of Rs. 600.77 lacs (including value of plant & machinery of Rs. 553.95 lakh) as on 31.03.2021. The industry has deposited consent fee of Rs. 1,08,000/- vide UTR/Ref. No. N066232361586351 dated 07.03.2023 & Rs. 33,000/- vide Receipt No. 821075594 dated 02.02.2024 as water consent fee under the Water Act, 1974 and Rs. 1,08,000/- vide UTR/Ref. No. N066232361569010 dated 07.03.2023 & Rs. 33,000/- vide Receipt No. 368902869 dated 02.02.2024 as air consent fee under the Air Act, 1981, which is adequate for a period upto 30.06.2028, after imposing penalty fee under both Acts as per Board's office order dated 29.10.2018. The industry has deposited Rs. 3600/- vide UTR/Ref. No. N066232361592786 dated 07.03.2023 & Rs. 7200/- vide Receipt No. 534468433 dated 02.02.2024 as NOC Regularization Fee, which is adequate.
The industry was visited by undersigned (AEE) on 25.01.2024 and it was observed as under:-
1. The industry was not in operation, as per demand.
2. The industry has installed 2 no. new ball mills of capacity 60 TPD and 40 TPD in a common processing shed.
3. The industry has installed bag filter house containing 36 no. PTFE coated polyester spun bound media filter with pulse jet system with 02 no. ball mill (60 TPD & 40 TPD), separately to contain the emissions being generated from grinding process, with proper hooding arrangement on emission generating sources i.e. jaw crusher, elevators, raw material storage tank, inlets and outlets of ball mills, and silo/ packing section. The APCDs were found in line with mechanical set up to clean the bags regularly.
4. The industry has provided common stack of height 100 ft above ground level with the APCDs and arrangement to facilitate emission sampling.
5. The industry has provided storage shed prided for storage of raw materials and during visit, no raw material was found stored outside the processing shed.
6. The industry has planted trees along its boundary wall and was adequate saplings along the boundary.
7. The industry has provided septic tank for treatment of its domestic effluent with provision to discharge the same onto land for irrigation/ plantation along boundary wall.
8. The industry has now provided stack of adequate height with DG set of capacity 25 KVA.
9. The industry has provided paved movement area and sprinkling of water is carried out to suppress the dust emissions.
10. During visit, the industry informed that it has replaced its previous machinery, by installing 02 no. new ball mills of capacity 60 TPD and 40 TPD, respective air pollution control devices and other allied machinery and due to these there has been increase in the gross fixed assets of the industry from 2019.
In view of above, the industry is complying with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 as well as with the decisions of personal hearing dated 16.12.2022.
As per MoEF notification dated 26.06.2020, a small enterprises is the one where the investment in plant & machinery or equipment does not exceed 10 crore and turn over does not exceed 50 crore Rs. As such, the subject cited industry falls in the small enterprises and the competency for grant of consents lies with the Senior Environmental Engineer of the Board.
It is therefore recommended that validity of the consents to operate granted under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 may be extended for a period upto 30.06.2028, subject to the suitable terms and conditions and specific as under:-
1. The industry shall get its emission sample analyzed from Board’s lab within one month.
2. The industry shall not carry out any expansion in its capacity without prior permission of the Board.
Competency: SEE
|
