| File Note: |
It is submitted that Hon’ble National Green Tribunal, New Delhi in OA No. 568 of 2019, James Jose, Managing Director, CGR Hall markers (P) Ltd. Vs Govt. of India, vide its order dated 18.11.2019 directed CPCB to frame Environmental guidelines for Gold Assaying & Hallmarking Centers. Accordingly, CPCB has framed guidelines for Gold Assaying & Hallmarking Centers in October, 2020.
Accordingly, the Hall Marking Centre has applied for obtaining fresh Consent to Operate under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 alongwith requisite documents and consent fee.
The Hall Marking Centre is a proprietorship firm and Smt. Anju Verma is the authorized signatory of the firm. Further, the unit has submitted the Registration Certificate of Shops & Commercial Establishments under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958 vide no. SCG124020800064349 dated 22/02/2024 for Hall Mark Service.
The Hall Marking Centre has submitted the rent deed dated 01/08/2023 executed between Sh. Ravi Verma and Smt. Anju Verma, Proprietor of M/s Chandigarh Hall Mark Centre, which is valid upto 31/07/2027.
The Hall Marking Centre has submitted the CA certificate dated 06/02/2024, wherein, it has mentioned that the total fixed assets of the unit as on 31/01/2024 is Rs. 9.78 lakhs with value of plant & machinery is Rs. 5.58 lakhs. Accordingly, the unit has deposited NOC regularization fee amounting to Rs. 1100/- vide UTR No. YESB33646287918 dated 30/12/2023 and consent to operate fee of Rs. 6600/- under the Water Act, 1974 vide UTR No. YESB33646287189 dated 30/12/2023 and the Air Act, 1981 vide UTR No. YESB33646287039 dated 30/12/2023. As such, the fee deposited by the unit under the both Acts is adequate upto 31/10/2029 as per Board's office order dated 29/10/2018.
The Hall Marking Centre was visited by the undersigned on 06/03/2024 and Sh. Vikas Verma representative of industry was contacted and during visit, it was observed as under:
1. The Hall Marking Centre is situated in Jewellery Market, Sarafa Bazar, Near Chander Glass House, Khanna, District Ludhiana.
2. The Centre was found in operation during the visit.
3. The process of the Centre is as under:
Reception of Gold/Jewelry (for assaying) -> X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) -> Marking -> Cupellation -> Annealing -> Parting Fume Hood -> Fume Extraction.
4. The Centre has installed 1 no. XRF machine, 1 no. laser machine ,1 no. electric melting furnace, where homogenization of metal takes place.
5. The center has also installed electric fired cupellation furnace in which lead is adsorbed in the cupels and the lead oxide is emitted in form of fumes which is taken to wet scrubber for treatment.
6. The unit has installed an electric fired annealing furnace for softening of metals.
7. Once cupellation is completed the Gold / silver alloys in bead form is taken in parting tray which is further dipped in nitric acid. The tray is heated and silver from the bead is removed. The emissions from this section is also taken to wet scrubber. The Hall Marking Centre has made arrangement to collect its spent nitric acid from this process, which is discharged into sewer after neutralizing the same with lime / caustic to pH of 8.5.
8. The Hall Marking Centre has provided wet scrubber as APCD with cupellation and parting furnaces with arrangement to recycle the scrubbing water alongwith stack of adequate height.
9. The Hall Marking Centre shall generate Spent cupels/scrubbed water containing lead, which is hazardous and shall be disposed off to TSDF.
10. The Hall Marking Centre has entered into an agreement with TSDF, Nimbua vide membership no. 3284 to lift the lead brick ash @ 0.600 T/year.
11. The domestic effluent is discharged into sewer.
Further, the Board vide letter no. 1955-57 dated 18/01/2023 has informed that department of Water Resources (RD and GR), Central Ground Water Authority, Ministry of Jal Shakti Govt. of India, New Delhi under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 has issued directions vide order dated 6/4/2022 that “It shall be mandatory for the project proponent abstracting ground water to obtain No objection Certificate from Central Ground Water Authority or the concerned State/UT Ground Water Authority as the case may be in the compliance conditions in consent to operate and consent to establish issued by the State pollution control Board”
PWRDA vide notification dated 27.01.2023 has exempted units from obtaining any permission of the authority, which are extracting not more than 300 cubic meters of ground water per month.
In the subject cited case, the industry has mentioned ground water extraction @ 1.5 KLD. Considering 30 working days in a month during season, the ground water extraction will be 45 KL/month. Thus, the industry does not require to obtain permission from PWRDA.
It is pertinent to mention here that the CPCB has not prescribed any specific siting criteria for such type of Gold Test Lab neither Board has issued any specific orders regarding the same. Gold Hallmarking Assaying facilities/Centres should be established as per the siting policies/guidelines of local administration. In this regard, the Hall Mark Centre has obtained the Registration Certificate of Shops & Commercial Establishments under the Punjab Shops and Commercial Establishment Act, 1958 vide no. SCG124020800064349 dated 22/02/2024 for Hall Mark Service.
In view of above, if approved, it is recommended that the consent to operate under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 may be granted upto 31/07/2027 (upto validity of rent deed) with suitable conditions and special conditions that:
1. The Hall Marking Centre shall submit the stack emission sampling report from Board’s lab / NABL accredited approved lab within 01 month.
2. The spent acid generated from parting acid will be sent to TSDF or neutralized before its disposal. The Hall Marking Centre shall have facility of pH testing like litmus paper, pH meter to check the pH of spent acid after neutralization before disposal in the sewer.
3. The Hall Marking Centre shall apply for authorization under the Hazardous and. Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 within a week.
4. The Hall Marking Centre shall maintain manifest / records for disposal of hazardous waste.
5. The Hall Marking Centre shall use proper personal protection equipments such as face shields, helmets, acid gloves, first aid box, etc. while carrying out fire assay and parting test.
6. The Hall Marking Centre shall use good housekeeping to prevent lead dust accumulation.
7. The Hall Marking Centre shall shift to the designated area as and when required as per the siting policies / guidelines of local administration / Punjab Pollution Control Board.
8. The Hall Marking Centre shall get the blood of workers tested for lead once in a year for the worker working in the center for more than 6 months.
Scale- Small (Orange)
Date of Receipt of Application- 25/02/2024
Date of Scrutiny- 02/03/2024
Date of Visit- 06/03/2024
Target Date of Deemed Approval- 18/04/2024
Competency- SEE
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