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It is submitted that the industry is an existing unit and was granted consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/BAR/2018/7011677 dated 13.04.2018 valid upto 30.09.2018 and under the Air Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Renewal/BAR/2019/8903271 dated 24.02.2019 valid upto 30.06.2022 for manufacturing of Aluminum utensils @ 200 Kg/day & Aluminum sheets @ 700 Kg/day by using Aluminum scrap @ 1.0 Metric Tonnes/Day as raw material with certain conditions mentioned therein.
The industry was visited by the officer of the Board on 30.12.2022 and observed as under:-
1. The industry is engaged in manufacturing of aluminum utensils and the same was in operation.
2. The industry has 01 no. wood fired bathi of capacity 600 kg with 02 no. crucible equipped with wet scrubber as APCD. The furnace was in operation, but the APCD was not in operation and the condition of same seems that it has not been operated since long.
3. The industry has also restarted its acid washing of utensils, the untreated effluent generated from the washing process was found discharged directly into open drain along with domestic effluent along the National Highway without any treatment. The industry has installed ETP, which was found in defunct condition.
4. The industry has neither provided water meter nor maintaining any record w.r.t. fresh water used in the process viz-a-viz trade effluent generated, treated and discharged by it. No record w.r.t sludge generation and disposed is being maintained by the industry.
Thereafter, the industry was given personal hearing before the Chief Environmental Engineer (B) of the Board on 16.03.2023,
The industry attended the hearing and submitted the written reply, which was taken on record. He further stated that he is closing his manufacturing unit due to sale problem of product.
After hearing it was decided as under:-
1. Directions u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 and u/s 31-A of the Air Act, 1981 for closure of the unit be issued. Also the PSPCL authority be directed to disconnect the power connection available to the industry/premises with immediate effect.
2. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur shall ensure the compliance of the direction submit a report within a week.
Therefore, the Chief Environmental Engineer of the Board, in exercise of the powers conferred upon it u/s33-A of the Water Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 is hereby direct as under:
1. That the industry shall take all necessary steps to close down its operations and stop forthwith discharging any effluents/wastewater onto land for stagnation/inland surface water/irrigation or through any mode.
2. That the industry shall immediately stop its operation/activities and will not restart the same unless all necessary water pollution control measures are taken.
3. That the industry shall not restart discharging its effluent/air pollutants until it obtains the consents of the Board to operate an outlet/industrial plant u/s 25/26 of the Water Act, 1974 and u/s 21 of the Air Act, 1981 as amended in 1987.
4. That the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. authorities shall be directed to disconnect the supply of electricity available to the industry with immediate effect.
Accordingly, PSPCL authorities had disconnected the power supply available to the industry.
Now, the industry has applied for fresh consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 for manufacturing of Aluminum utensils @ 200 Kg/day & Aluminum sheets @ 700 Kg/day by using Aluminum scrap @ 1.0 Metric Tonnes/Day as raw material under small scale red category.
The industry has deposited fee of Rs. 10,800/- vide R. No. N108232422279433 dated 18.04.2023 & Rs. 7200/- vide no. R.No. 233930101/IGAQVVLJE1 dated 13.2.2024 under the Water Act, 1974 and Rs. 10,800/- vide R. No. N108232422234781 dated 18.04.2023 under the Air Act, 1981 against the gross value of fixed assets Rs. 49.15 lacs as on 31.03.2023 as per CA certificate dated 11.04.2023. The industry has also deposited Rs. 1800/- vide R. No. 718237496 dated 07.02.2024 & Rs. 400/- vide R.No. 233930101/IGAQVVLJE1 dated 13.2.2024 as NOC regularization fee. The fee deposited by the industry is adequate upto 30.09.2026 under the Water Act, 1974 and upto 31.12.2024 under the Air Act, 1981 (after deducting penalty fee).
The industry had submitted bank guarantee of Rs. 1.0 lacs bearing no BG/SBP/006/16-17 dated 07/02/2017 as per decisions of personal hearing dated 17/08/2016, before the Chief Environmental Engineer, Head office, Patiala of the Board to ensure for installation of ETP/APCD and for their regular and proper operation and achievement of standards prescribed by the Board and same was further extended time to time and last validity was upto 05.02.2023. The industry had installed the APCD and ETP as per the directions of the Board. The industry was requested by this office vide letter no. 703 dated 28.02.2023 to submit the extended bank guarantee. The industry yet to submit the extended bank guarantee, however, it submitted that due to the closure of the unit from last one year, presently financial condition of the industry is not good and requested to grant the 15 days time to deposit the extended bank guarantee.
To verify the compliance of the hearing decisions, the industry was visited by AEE of this office on 07.02.2024 and observed as under:-
1. The industry was not in operation and the electric supply available to the industry was found disconnected.
2. The industry has installed 01 oil fired furnace (2 crucible) equipped with wet scrubber as APCD and adequate stack height to control the process emission. During visit, the furnace was not in operation.
3. The industry has installed one no. DG set of 82.5 KVA capacity, with canopy and stack of adequate height.
4. The industry has provided septic tank for treatment of domestic effluent @ 0.65 KLD, generated from the industry premises and the same is being disposed into plantation area.
5. The industry has installed ETP consist of collection tank, Flash mixture, tube settler, filter feed tank, pressure filter, sludge drying beds for treatment of trade effluent @ 0.16 KLD, generated from washing section. The ETP was not in operation due to non operation of the unit and lac of effluent. Hence, sampling could not be carried out.
6. The industry has developed plantation in an area around 300 gaz with eucalyptus tree which is adequate in comparison to the proposed discharge of the industry subject to the condition that industry shall maintain the same on regular basis.
In view of above, it is recommended that
a) Consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 be granted to the industry for six months with usual conditions and special condition that:-
1. The industry shall operate its ETP and APCD properly and adequately.
2. The industry shall be bound to comply with the provisions of the Master Plan, Barnala to be notified by the Competent Authority.
3. The industry shall submitted the extended bank guarantee of Rs. 1.0 lac within 15 days.
b) Directions be issued u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 and 31-A of the Air Act, 1981 for temporary restoration of electric connection for the six month.
Competency SEE
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