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Sub: Proceedings of the personal hearing given before Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana w.r.t. directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as amended in 1987 alongwith show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate under both Acts on 02.04.2024 - M/s Lovely Autos, Opp. Petrol Pump, Pakhowal Road, Ludhiana.
The following were present:
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
Er. Paramjit Singh, SEE, ZO-II, Ludhiana
Er. Samita, EE, ZO-II, Ludhiana
On behalf of the service station
Sh. Joginder Sharma, Admin Manager
Sh. Sarabjit Singh, G.M.
Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-2, Ludhiana brought out that the workshop/service station was visited by officer of the Board on 14.11.2023 and it was observed as under:
1. The workshop was in operation and engaged in servicing and washing of four wheelers.
2. The workshop has installed a paint booth with inbuilt filters as APCD.
3. The workshop has installed effluent treatment plant to treat its trade effluent generated from the washing process and same was found not in operation due to failure of electric motor. During visit, washing of vehicles is undergoing. The physical condition of the ETP indicated that it was not being operated regularly.
4. The plantation area developed by the industry (in adjacent plot) for utilization of treated effluent is full of wild grass. No maintenance of plantation area is being done by the industry. No effluent was found stagnated in the plantation area. The condition of the plantation area indicated that the industry is disposing off its effluent in an unauthorized manner.
5. The workshop has provided water meter (at outlet) and energy meter with the ETP. The readings were 1274.8 KL and12367 KWh. The industry has failed to produce the record of the same.
6. The workshop has not provided any hazardous waste room. The representative of the unit informed that the entire hazardous waste is being transported to their main branch at Ayali Chownk, Ferozpur Road, Ludhiana for further disposal.
The workshop is running its unit without obtaining consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974, Air Act, 1981 and authorization under HWM Rules, 2016 and thus is violating the provisions of said Acts.
Accordingly, show cause notice for violation under the provisions of Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 was issued to the workshop with an opportunity of personal hearing before Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-2, Ludhiana on 13.12.2023. Wherein it was decided that action for issuing notice u/s 33-A of the Waer (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 be initiated against the service station/ workshop for its closure with an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana.
The proceedings of aforesaid personal hearing were conveyed to the service station.
The service station now applied for consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 for Servicing and washing of cars @ 20 numbers/day through OCMMS of the Board.
The service station was visited by officer of the Board on 19.12.2023 and it was observed as under:
1. The service station was in operation, during visit and is engaged in servicing and washing of the vehicles.
2. The service station has installed ETP for the treatment of trade effluent generated from washing section having components inlet > oil & grease trap > collection tank > Dozing cum flocculation tank > tube settler > MGF > outlet and the entire treated effluent is discharged onto land for plantation in adjoining owned plot. The plantation area has not been developed as per karnal technology. Wild grass has been observed in the plot.
3. The representative of the service station failed to show the record of operation of ETP.
4. The service station has provided one paint booth with filters as APCD.
5. The service station has not provided Hazardous waste storage room for storage of HW and has not applied for authorization under HWM Rules, 2016.
6. The service station has not submitted clear cut certificate of DTP that this workshop and service station can be operated or not in the Mix Land use along road front zone.
Notice u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as amended in 1987 was issued to the industry with an opportunity of personal hearing before Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana on 10.01.2024 postponed to 11.01.2024. Wherein it was decided that:-
1. The workshop shall submit clear cut certificate from DTP within 15 days that whether this workshop and service station can be operated or not in this area.
2. That Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-4, Ludhiana shall visit the industry to verify the contentions of the industry and process the consent applications of the industry accordingly.
The proceedings of aforesaid personal hearing were conveyed to the service station vide Board's letter no. 322 dated 15.01.2024.
In compliance of decision no. 02 of hearing, the workshop was visited by the officer of the Board on 22.01.2024 and it was observed that:-
1. The workshop was in operation, during visit and is engaged in servicing and washing of the vehicles.
2. The workshop has installed ETP for the treatment of trade effluent generated from washing section having components inlet > oil & grease trap > collection tank > Dozing cum flocculation tank > tube settler > MGF > outlet and the entire treated effluent is discharged onto land for plantation in adjoining owned plot.
3. Now the workshop has developed the plantation area as per karnal technology.
4. During visit, the effluent sample was collected from the outlet from the ETP on 22.01.2024 and sent to Zonal Lab, Ludhiana for analysis. As per the analysis report received, the parameters pH @ 8.3, TSS @ 42, TDS @ 504, COD @ 68, BOD @ 12 and oil & grease @ BDL, which are within permissible limits as per Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, in Schedule-l for Automobile Service Stations prescribed by the Board.
5. The workshop now maintained proper record of operation of ETP.
6. The workshop has provided one paint booth with filters as APCD.
7. The workshop has installed one no. D.G. Set of capacity 62 KVA with canopy and adequate stack height.
8. The workshop has failed to submit the clear-cut certificate from DTP that whether this workshop and service station can be operated or not in this area, so the suitability of the site could not be adjudged. As the workshop has failed to comply with the decision no. 01 of the hearing.
The workshop is running its unit without obtaining consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. Thus, the industry is violating the provisions of said Acts.
Notice to issue directions u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as amended in 1987 and u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 alongwith show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate under both Acts was issued to service station with an opportunity of personal hearing before Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana on 02.04.2024.
Sh. Joginder Sharma, Admin Manager and Sh. Sarabjit Singh, G.M. of the service station attended the hearing and submitted a written reply which was taken on record. He stated that the team of GLADA visited their site and certified that this area falls under proposed Mix Land Use along Road Front Zone as per approved Master Plan, Ludhiana and in this area only green and Orange category units to operate are allowed and submitted the letter of DTP, Ludhiana. He stated that they have already applied consent to operate through OCMMS.
After hearing, the representatives of the service station and officers of the Board, the Chief Environmental Engineer of the Board decided as under:
1. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-4, Ludhiana shall comment upon the DTP certificate submitted by the service station regarding the suitability of the site and process the consent applications on merits.
Submitted for confirmation of decisions of the hearing and conveying to the all concerned, please.
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