| File Note: |
Sub: Proceeding of the personal hearing given before the Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-I, Ludhiana on 13.03.2024 w.r.t. show cause notice for refusal of 'Consent to Establish' (NOC) under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 to M/s Aquagreen Energies Private Limited, VPO Muskabad Road- Muskabad to Neelon Ropar Canal Link Road, Samrala, Ludhiana.
The Following were present:
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
Er. Pardeep Balu, Add. Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Ludhiana
On behalf of the industry
Sh. Parminder Singh, MD
The Add. Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Ludhiana brought out that the proposed site was earlier granted 'Consent to Establish' under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 for setting up a unit for manufacturing of Compressed Bio Gas @ 2.60 MTD, Solid Fertilizer @ 30 MTD and Liquid fertilizer @ 30 MTD vide no. CTE/Fresh/LDH1/2023/ 20713700 dated 31.1.2023 valid upto 30.1.2024.
The industry has applied for obtaining 'Consent to Establish' (NOC for extension) under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 for setting up a unit for manufacturing of Compressed Bio Gas @ 2.60 MTD, Solid Fertilizer @ 30 MTD and Liquid fertilizer @ 30 MTD.
The villager of Village Muskabad Tehsil Samrala, District Ludhiana has made an complaint regarding pollution caused by burning of Paddy Straw and the villagers are accusing underground water and air pollution. Recently, an interaction was held with villagers by the Dy SP and Tehsildar Samrala, MLA Shri Jagtar Singh for insisting to keep away the plant 1 km from the village phirni.
The industry has not proposed adequate pollution control measures to be adopted for the control of pollution.
The matter has been considered and it has been decided to refuse 'Consent to Establish' (NOC) under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, after giving another opportunity of personal hearing.
In view of above, the industry was issued show cause notice for refusal of 'Consent to Establish' (NOC) under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 with hearing before the Senior Environmental Engineer of the Board on 13.03.2024.
The Regional Office was requested to visit a similar operational unit to assess the steps taken by that unit for the control of pollution.
Sh. Parminder Singh, MD of the industry has attended the hearing and submitted written reply which has been taken on record. He submitted that the industry was earlier granted 'Consent to Establish' under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 for setting up a unit for manufacturing of Compressed Bio Gas @ 2.60 MTD, Solid Fertilizer @ 30 MTD and Liquid fertilizer @ 30 MTD vide no. CTE/Fresh/LDH1/2023/ 20713700 dated 31.1.2023 valid upto 30.1.2024 and now applied for extension in validity of NOC.
An interaction with villagers was held on 14 Sep 23 in the presence of the Dy SP Samrala, Tehsildar and local MLA Jagtar Singh, the efforts for which were done by them. Hon'ble Cabinet Minister of NRES, Punjab Shri Aman Arora was approached to ask the local MLA to accompany the local administration to educate the villagers of the benefits and social impact of the Plant. Some of the villagers were in agreement to visit a similar plant to see for themselves that there was no pollution as alleged by them. PEDA at that time had arranged for a visit to M/s Farm Gas at Ghungrali Rajputtan and transport was arranged by them but due to the adamancy of some villagers that they were not consulted before setting up the industry, the plan could not be executed. Nowhere GoP instructions specify that the village Panchayat is to be consulted or NOC obtained from them before setting up the industry.
The demand of the villagers is that the site is too close to the village and needs to be shifted at least one km away from the village phirni. It is respectfully brought out that as per District Town Planning letter No 2860DTP(L)M2A(O) dated 22/12/22 issued to the Company, Green category industry must be at least 100 metres from the abadi (15 pucca houses or more) and there should be no cluster of 15 pucca houses or more within 100 metres of such units. The SDM report dated 06/01/23 (Photocopy enclosed) infact brings out that the site is already 1 km away from the village phirni. The sitting SDM Samrala Shri Rajnish Arora while holding a public hearing on 20/02/24 visited the site and found that both the abovementioned conditions are fulfilled.
The other accusation of some villagers about causing underground water and air pollution is totally baseless and arbitrary. Only digging work for laying the PCC and RMC foundation of the Digester was under progress. The turnkey construction is being carried out by M/s KPO Techventures Pvt Ltd who is also providing technology for the plant. The company is renowned and specialises in Biogas generation, purification and bottling plants as per Techno economic viability (TEV) study carried out by Biogas Development and Training Centre, Deptt of Civil Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana (Extract attached). We have signed an EPC (Engineering Procurement Construction) Agreement with M/s KPO Techventures. The Company has over 20 years of experience and has set up 17 Biogas Plants in coordination with Uzala Bioenergy Solutions which is their partner.
The Digester is a completely sealed unit with a 1 metre thick RCC wall and roof where anaerobic digestion of biomass (Napier Grass, Paddy Straw, other biodegradable waste and cow dung) shall take place. Latest available technology for digestion and purification of biogas as per ISO Standards shall be utilised to avoid any kind of ground water and air pollution. Glimpse of the technology being used can be perused from the PAU University TEV Study. The plant shall be open to inspection by PPCB during and post construction to check any kind of pollution and issue notices, if required.
Meanwhile, vide no. 461 dated 14.03.2024, the Environmental Engineer Regional Office-1, Ludhiana submitted her report that M/s Farm Gas, Village Ghungrali, Khanna was visited by officers of Regional Office on 11.03.2024. The said unit was involved in manufacturing of CBG using Raw Material as Paddy Straw, Press Mud and Cow Dung. The process involves:-
Crushing of paddy straw, mixing of crushed paddy straw, press mud and cow dung in a tank, transfer of the slurry into CSTR (Anaerobic Digester) for formation of raw gas. Thereafter the raw gas is dried and purified to remove gases like Hydrogen Sulphide (H2S) and Carbon dioxide by water scrubbing and through PSA. The dried and purified Bio Gas is filled and stored in cascade which are a group of high pressure cylindrical vessels.
During visit, no significant smell was observed at the plant and its boundary during normal conditions. However, the industry shall take following preventive measures:
i) The industry shall provide proper storage with concrete floor and shed for storage of press mud and shall provide adequate arrangements of storage of Leachate.
ii) The industry shall provide adequate arrangements/APCD for removal of H2S gas from the raw gas.
iii) The industry shall make adequate arrangements to dry and store the solid fertilizers generated during the process.
iv) The industry shall not discard any liquid fertilizers/Waste into sewer or through any unauthorized mode and shall utilize the same in the digester and shall provide adequate arrangements for the same.
v) The industry shall make proper arrangements for transfer of the slurry back into the mixer tank in case of over flowing/ any fault occurs in the digester tank.
vi) The industry shall provide broadleaf plants along the boundary.
Further, RO recommended that 'Consent to Establish' (Extn) under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be extended to the industry for another one year subject to the same terms and conditions as mentioned therein along with above mentioned preventive measures so that no public nuisance is created in the area.
Considering reply of the industry and report of the Environmental Engineer Regional Office, it has been decided that validity of 'Consent to Establish' (NOC) under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be extended to the industry for another one year subject to the same terms and conditions as mentioned therein along with additional condition as proposed by RO.
Submitted for confirmation of decisions of the hearing and for conveying to the industry and Regional Office for compliance of above decisions, please. |
