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Subject: Proceedings of the personal hearing given by the Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-2, Patiala of the Board for refusal of consents to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 to M/s Mother Teacher International School, Handiaya, District Barnala on 15/04/2024.
The following were present:
From the Board:
Er. Amit Kumar, EE, ZO-II, Patiala
From the Industry:
Sh. Sandeep Singh, Manager
Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala brought out that earlier show cause notice for violations of the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was issued to the School with an opportunity of personal hearing before the Sr. Environmental Engineer held on 16/10/2023, due to the violations observed during visit dated 22/05/2023
Sh. Kapil Mittal, Manager of the school attended the personal hearing and submitted a reply which was taken on record. He further stated that the school is being run with students strength of 1240 and staff strength of 94. The school is a day school and it has provided flow meters on both of its tubewells. The record of flow meter readings is maintained on the daily basis. The school has already provided Sewage Treatment Plant and the treated effluent is discharged onto land for plantation/ gardening. The school has installed one no. DG set of capacity 100 KVA, which is equipped with canopy and stack of adequate height. The school is segregating its solid waste and has provided compost pit for treatment of wet waste. The dry waste is lifted by junk dealers. He further requested to give some time to apply for consents of the Board under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
After hearing the officer of the Board and representative of the school, Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala decided that :
1. The school shall submit a bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 5.0 lakh as an assurance to comply with the environmental laws within 7 days.
2. The school shall apply for consents under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and authorization under Hazardous & Other Wastes (Management & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016 within 7 days.
3. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur shall visit the school to verify the contentions made during the hearing, collect the effluent sample from the outlet of the STP and to process the applications to be applied by the school immediately after 10 days.
The School has not submitted any proposal/ arrangement for control of air pollution to be generated from the process as well as feasibility report.
In compliance to the hearing decision, the school has deposited bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 5 lakh vide BG no. LOBG211712309541 dated 30.10.2023 valid upto 25.10.2025 and has applied for obtaining consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 under small scale orange category for the capacity of Students and Staff Members @ 1200 Numbers and for the disposal of domestic effluent @ 43.2 KLD onto land for plantation after treatment in STP.
While processing the case, it has been observed that the school has been established within 100 mtr of air polluting industry namely M/s Krishna Metal Industries. As such, the school has not complied with the Govt. of Punjab Notification dated 26 July 2008.
The school was issued show cause notice for refusal of consents to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. 5126 dated 23/02/2024 to file written reply before the Sr. Environmental Engineer of the Board within 10 days.
The school has submitted reply of the notice and the same was taken on record. The school is situated within 100 mtr of air polluting industry and has failed to provide buffer of plantation 15 mtr wide towards the said industry.
The school has failed to comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and is operating without obtaining Consent to Establish(NOC)/ Consents to operate of the Board as required under the provisions of the said Acts, since 2005. Also, the school has failed to comply with Govt. of Punjab Notification dated 26 July 2008. Thus, violating the provisions of the said Acts intentionally and deliberately.
Accordingly, show cause notice for refusal of consents to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was issued to the school with an opportunity of personal hearing before the Sr. Environmental Engineer of the Board on 15/04/2024.
The Representative of the school attended the personal hearing and submitted written reply, which was taken on record. He stated that the Society namely M/s Technical Education College, Barnala was registered in 2001. The building of the said Technical College was also constructed in the said year. The Technical College was in operation at the site from 2004 to 2015. Thereafter, the Technical Education College was converted to school in the year 2016. There was no any change in the land & building in the process to convert the college to school. The Govt. of Punjab Notification dated 26 July 2008 is not applicable in the case of the educational institute, as it was established before the date of notification. He further requested to granted consents to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
After hearing the officer of the Board and representative of the school, Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala decided that the reply submitted by the school be forwarded to Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur to submit his comments on the applicability of the Notification dated 26 July 2008 in this case. He shall also submit his fresh recommendations after going through the reply as well through notification dated 26/07/2008, so as to decide the consent applications submitted by the school under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
If approved, the proceedings may be conveyed to the school as well as Regional Office for ensuring compliance, please.
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