| File Note: |
Subject: Proceedings of the personal hearing given to The Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Bathinda before refusal of consents to operate under the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 by the Chairman on 26.03.2024.
The following were present:
From Board's side:
Er. Rakesh Kumar, SEE, ZO, Bathinda
From industry side:
Sh. Rajinder Kumar, Xen, MC, Bathinda
Sh. Neeraj Garg, SDO, MC, Bathinda
It was brought out that the Municipal Corporation, Bathinda was granted consents to operate under the provisions of Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 on 29.08.2023 (validity upto 31.12.2023) for processing of Municipal Solid Waste @ 350 TPD (full capacity) to manufacture compost, RDF and inert, with suitable conditions mentioned therein along with special conditions that:-
1. The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall install Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, within two months.
2. The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall upgrade Risk Management and Disaster Management plan, within one month.
3. The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall commission the site developed as secured land fill for disposal of inert material, within 1 month.
4. The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall speed-up the processing of legacy waste and shall submit the progress in this regard to the Regional Office, Bathinda of the Board on monthly basis.
5. The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall ensure to mitigate the odour problem by spraying ecolo herbal solution and shall operate its air pollution control device regularly & scientifically.
MC Bathinda has applied for renewal of consent to operate of the Board under the provisions of Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 for processing of Municipal Solid Waste @ 120 TPD.
The facility was visited by officer of the Board on 06.03.2023 and it was observed that: -
1. The facility was in operation and the servicing of the non-working nozzles (to spray the ecolo solution to mitigate the odour) was going on at site.
2. The facility has failed to install ambient air quality monitoring stations.
3. The MCB has developed a part of the site as SLF (100’*150’*11’) for disposal of inert material, however the same has not been commissioned yet.
4. The MCB failed to submit upgraded Risk Management and Disaster Management plan.
5. As per the MC authorities the total legacy waste which was lying at site was 3,50,000 cum out of which 2,00,000 cum of legacy waste has been processed. The MC authorities informed that the proposed deadline to treat the legacy waste has been extended.
6. The facility is discharging its leachate into sludge carrier for domestic effluent further leading to STP installed by MC, Bathinda.
It is also pertinent to mention here that an application bearing OA no. 413 of 2021 is pending before Hon’ble NGT in the matter of Bikramjit Singh Shergill Vs State of Punjab related to the fire incident which occurred at the solid waste dump site on 06.06.2021. A Joint Committee was formed in the matter, the report of which has been submitted on 24.08.2022. The matter is listed for hearing on 02.04.2024.
Municipal Corporation, Bathinda is violating the provisions of Water Act, 1974 & Air Act, 1981 as well as conditions imposed in the consents granted to it under the said Acts.
In view of above, show cause notice before refusal of consents to operate under the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 has been issued to the MC, Bathinda with an opportunity of personal hearing on 26.03.2024.
During hearing, the officers of the MC, Bathinda submitted written reply of the notice issued to it, which has been taken on record. They further stated that:-
1. The MSW plant at Bathinda is run by JITF on the behalf of MCB. The spray nozzles are working fine to mitigate the odour and timely servicing is done as per requirement by the agency. The agency is also instructed to keep regular check the defunct nozzles if any.
2. Municipal Corporation, Bathinda has already initiated the process of procuring the air quality monitoring stations and same will be installed by 15.04.2024.
3. MC, Bathinda has already developed temporary SLF adjoining to MWS site and the same will be commissioned by 31.03.2024.
4. The upgraded Risk Management and Disaster Management Plan will be submitted by 15.04.2024.
5. MC, Bathinda already completed the processing of bio-remediation of approx. 2,25,000 cum of legacy waste against the work order quantity of 2,77,000 cum. However, the remaining area is under the control of JITF & the litigation is be decided soon. It is also informed that the fractions of bio-remediation like RDF, inert etc. is to be disposed off yet and MC, Bathinda is in consultation with Bio mass plants, NHAI and others to use this as raw material in their various ongoing projects.
6. The agency is instructed to discharge its leachate with proper concentration with maintaining the dilution factor (say 1:100) to avoid sudden loading of STP.
After hearing the officials of the MC, Bathinda and the officers of the Board, the Chairman of the Board decided that consents to operate under the Water Act, 1974 & Air Act, 1981 be granted to the MC, Bathinda upto 31.12.2024, subject to the following special conditions that:-
a) The Municipal Corporation shall install Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Stations, within one month.
b) The MCB shall upgrade Risk Management and Disaster Management plan, within one month.
c) The MCB shall commission the site developed as SLF for disposal of inert material by 31.03.2024.
d) The Municipal Corporation, Bathinda shall speed-up the processing of legacy waste and shall submit the progress in this regard to the Regional Office, Bathinda of the Board on monthly basis.
e) The MCB shall ensure to mitigate the odour problem by spraying ecolo herbal solution and shall operate its air pollution control device regularly & scientifically.
Submitted for confirmation of the decisions of the personal hearing dated 26.03.2024 please. |
