| File Note: |
Subject: Proceeding of the personal hearing given on 24.01.2024 before the Chairman of the Board w.r.t. show cause notice for refusal of the renewal of consent to operate applied by the industry under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The Following were present:
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
1. Er. G.S. Majithia, Member Secretary
2. Er. Harbir Singh, Chief Environmental Engineer (P)
3. Er. Lavneet Kumar, Senior Environmental Engineer (ZP-I)
4. Er. Rajeev Gupta, Environmental Engineer, (ZP-1)
On behalf of the Industry
1) Sh. Amit Kumar, Plant Head
2) Sh. Rakesh Vaid, Head Maintenance
At the outset, Environmental Engineer, (ZP-1) brought out that: -
The industry was granted to 'Consent to Operate' under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Varied/PTA/2021/15171842 dated 25/06/2021 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Varied/PTA/2021/15176335 dated 25/06/2021, both valid upto 31.03.2023, for manufacturing of Tractors @ 100 Nos./Day by using Differential / Gear Box / Hydraulic / Trumpet / Fly Wheel Housing @ 500 Nos. / Day, Crankcase @ 100 Nos. / Day, Sheet Metal Set / Fender @ 300 Nos. / Day, Hydraulic / Fuel Injection Pump @ 200 Nos. / Day, Paint @ 1200 Liter / day, Tyre / Tube / Wheel Rim @ 1200 Nos. / Day and Other Misc. items @ 100 Nos. / Day, subject to conditions as mentioned therein.
The industry was given opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board on 13.03.2023 wherein, it was decided as under: -
1. The consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 be revoked / cancelled.
2. The industry shall submit a bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 50 lakh as an assurance to comply with environmental laws at all the time.
3. The industry be issued notice u/s 5 A of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for violation of the provisions of Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Trans-boundary Movement) Rules, 2016 with an opportunity of personal hearing before Chairman of the Board.
4. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall visit the industry to verify the contentions and shall also visit its sister concern i.e. M/s Preet Agro Industries Pvt. Ltd., (combine harvester manufacturing unit) and shall submit his report within 15 days.
The proceedings of the hearing were conveyed to the industry vide Board's letter no. 2620-21 dated 18.04.2023.
The industry was visited by the officers of the Regional Office, Patiala on 31.10.2023 and Sh. Rakesh Vaid, Maintenance Head was contacted. During visit it was observed as under:
1. The industry is engaged in manufacturing/ assembly of tractors.
2. The industry has installed 1 no. pre-treatment section for phosphating, which is not equipped with any APCD.
3. The industry has installed 1no. Electroplating section for metal part line section.
4. The industry has installed 2 no. of LPG fired ovens, which are equipped with stacks.
5. The industry has installed 2no. paint booth, which are provided with water curtain as APCD.
6. The industry has installed 2nd metal surface cleaning line for chassy line using spray of degreasing chemicals.
7. The industry has around 16 no. of stacks from various air pollution sources, i.e. phosphating section, pain booth, ovens etc. However, no stack sampling arrangement has been provided on any stack. i.e. port holes and in some cases not even ladder & platforms are provided.
8. The industry was also found doing metal surface rubbing using hand machines. However, no system is provided at same to collect dust emissions.
9. The industry has installed ETP-cum-STP plant for treatment of trade effluent from phosphating section, de-greasing section and for domestic effluent from washrooms.
10. The industry has not provided separate water meter for fresh water used in metal surface treatment section, inlet of STP & inlet of trade effluent.
11. The industry has provided water meter on combined inlet of Domestic effluent and trade effluent, reading of same was noted as 5259.87m3.
12. The industry has provided water meter after collection tank for storage of combined effluent for utilizing the same onto land for plantation, reading of same was noted as 3268.14m3.
13. The industry has not stored phosphate sludge in its premises and has not maintained record of same. The rep. of industry informed that the same is fed into ETP cum STP plant.
14. During visit, pain sludge was found stored in open area.
15. The industry has provided plantation area around 1 acre outside the premises, for utilization of treated waste water. During visit, waste water was found dry. No furrows/ ridges provided.
The industry is not complying with the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, intentionally and deliberately. Further, the industry has also not complied with the decisions of the personal hearing dated 13.03.2023.
Thereafter, it has been proposed to refuse the renewal of consent to operate applied by the industry under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 after affording an opportunity of show cause-cum-personal hearing.
Therefore, show cause notice for refusal of the renewal of consent to operate applied by the industry under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 has been issued with an opportunity to appear in person before the Chairman of the Board in his office Punjab Pollution Control Board, Vatavarn Bhawan, Nabha Road, Patiala on 25.01.2024 at 11.00 AM vide Board's letter no. 10303 dated 18/01/2024.
The representative of the industry attended the hearing informed that the industry has complied with most of the observations raised by the visiting officer of the Board. Further, he informed that the buffing earlier carried out by the industry inside its premises has been stopped and outsourced the same. He assured to comply with the Environmental Laws in future. The industry has also submitted written reply and the same was also taken on record.
After hearing the officers of the Board, facts of the record and the representative of the industry, the Chairman of the Board decided as under: -
1. The renewal of the consents to operate applied by the industry under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 be granted to the industry for shorter period of six months.
2. The industry shall separately provide ETP for the treatment of trade effluent and provide STP for treatment of domestic effluent separately, within one month and shall maintain the record of operation of the same.
3. The industry shall submit bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 50 lacs as per the decisions of the personal hearing given to it on 13.03.2023 an assurance to comply with the Environmental Laws, immediately.
4. The industry shall prepare its irrigation plan for disposal of treated wastewater in its plantation area and get it approved from the Department of Soil Conservation, within one month.
5. The industry shall get its soil health index study as well as transfer factor of metals in the soil from reputed institute being discharging its treated wastewater in its plantation area developed with karnal technology, within two months. The industry shall get it approved from the Concerned Authorities, within two months.
6. The industry shall create Environment Management Cell (EMC) and shall appoint qualified Environment Engineer to head the said section within one month, so that the EMC is responsible for the environmental compliance of the industry.
7. A committee consisting of the officer of the Board i.e. Er. R.K Ratra, Sr. Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office, Jalandhar, Er. Jatinder Soni, Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-II, Jalandhar, Er. Surinder Singh, AEE, Regional Office, Patiala and Sh. Gurpreet Singh, ASO, Head Office Lab, Patiala shall visit the industry, within 07 days and submit its report with conclusive recommendations within 15 days. The scope of the committee shall be as under: -
a) To carry out monitoring of ETP, STP and APCDs installed by the industry.
b) To verify the compliance of consent conditions granted to the industry under the Water Act, 1974, the Air Act, 1981 as well as conditions of authorization granted under the HWM Rules, 2016
c) The Committee shall also verify the compliances made by the industry w.r.t violations reported by R.O.
d) The Committee shall submit its report to the Board within 15-days.
8. Further, action shall be taken on the receipt of the report from the team constituted to visit the industry.
If approved, proceedings may be conveyed to the industry as well as Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala for compliance. |
