| File Note: |
Subject: Proceedings of the personal hearing given by Chairman of the Board on 23.04.2024 w.r.t notice to issue directions u/s 33-A of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 - M/s Centex International Pvt Ltd, Sua Road, Gobindgarh, Focal Point, Phase 7, Ludhiana.
The following were present:
On behalf of PPCB
Er. G.S. Majithia, Member Secretary
Er. Pardeep Gupta, CEE, Ludhiana
Er. Paramjeet Singh, SEE, ZO-2, Ludhiana
Er. Samita, EE, ZO-2, Ludhiana
On behalf of industry
Sh. Satish Kumar, Director General Manager
Officers of the Board brought out that the industry is large scale red category dyeing unit and was granted consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH4/2023/22755096 dated 09.08.2023 and Air Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Renewal/LDH4/2022/16419886 dated 07.01.2022, both valid upto 31.03.2024 for production of Shawls, Scarves, Fabrics, Yarn, Readymade, Garments @ 02 TPD, Knitted Sweater, Scarf, Stole, Capes @ 02 TPD and for discharge of trade effluent @ 1000 KLD into sewer after treatment through ETP and domestic effluent @ 20 KLD into sewer with certain conditions and with special conditions mentioned therein.
Thereafter, the industry was issued notice u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 alongwith the show cause notice for revocation of consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 with opportunity of personal hearing before Chairman on 04.01.2024, wherein it was decided as under:
1. The industry shall submit progress chart regarding the installation and commissioning of ZLD plant, within 03 days.
2. The industry shall submit a bank guarantee of Rs. 10 Lacs, within 07 days as assurance to comply with all Environmental Laws in future.
3. The industry shall ensure compliance of special consent condition earlier imposed to the industry i.e the industry shall submit a bank guarantee of Rs. 50 lac, within 07 days as an assurance that the upgraded ETP based on ZLD technology will be installed and commissioned by 31.03.2024.
4. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-4, Ludhiana shall visit the industry and recollect the effluent samples and submit comprehensive report / recommendations, within 15 days.
The industry was visited by the officer of the Board on 14.02.2024 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry was found in operation at time of visit and is engaged in manufacturing of scarf's, stalls & sweaters.
2. The industry has installed 17 printing tables (manual) and 01 automatic printing machine.
3. The industry has installed 18 soft flow machines, 05 fabric dyeing jet flow, 04 jigger fabric machines, 02 dip dyeing, 57 yarn dyeing machines, 06 winch machines and 02 garment washing machines. All the machines are of varying capacities.
4. The industry has not submitted bank guarantee of Rs. 50 Lac as an assurance that the upgraded ETP based on ZLD technology will be installed and commissioned by 31.03.2024.
5. The industry has neither submitted any progress report nor work regarding the installation and commissioning of ZLD plant as per special condition of CTO granted to the industry.
6. No progress has been made by the industry with regard to up-gradation of ETP based on ZLD technology and it has also not submitted 10 Lacs and a bank guarantee of Rs. 50 lac, within 07 days as an assurance that the upgraded ETP based on ZLD technology.
7. The industry was given deadline to upgrade its ETP to ZLD upto 31.03.2024, but no progress has been achieved by the industry till date.
8. The treated effluent sample were lastly collected by officer of the Board on 14.02.2024 and as per analysis results received from Lab, all the parameters were found to be complying with the standards prescribed for textile dyeing units as well as stringent standards (pH @ 7.8, BOD @ 8 mg/l, TDS @ 1895 mg/l, TSS @ 32 mg/l, COD @ 48 mg/l, Amonical Nitrogen @ 5.8, Phenolic Compound @ BDL, Total Chrome @ BDL, Sulphide @ BDL SAR @ 4.2, Oil & Grease @ BDL). The parameters are also found confirming the stringent standards prescribed for large scale dyeing units.
The industry is violating the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and is not complying with the decisions of the personal hearing given before Chairman of the Board on 04.01.2024.
The industry has already applied for renewal of consent to operate under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 through OCMMS and same is under process.
Accordingly, notice u/s 33-A of Water Act, 1974 as amended in 1988 was issued to the industry with an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board 23.04.2024.
Sh. Satish Kumar, Director General Manager of the industry attended the hearing and submitted a written reply which was taken on record. He stated that they assure the esteemed Board that they are prepared to adopt the recommendations of the committee, which has been set up by the Honourable Minister of environment to study alternatives to ZLD. This committee, chaired by PPCB and involving the Sewerage Board and all large scale industries, is yet to reach a decision. Upon the committee's decision, they will proceed as directed. He further informed that a sample of the trade effluent was collected from the inlet and outlet of the ETP. Accordingly to the analysis report dated 18.12.2023, the concentration of various parameters is within the prescribed limits of the MOEF&CC and adheres to stringent standards. Only the COD and SAR slightly exceed the stringent and standards, with COS at 56 instead of the limit of 50 and SAR at 10.4 instead of the limit of 7. He stated that officer of the Board visited and collected the trade effluent sample on 14.02.2024. Accordingly to the analysis report 27.02.2024, all parameters are within the prescribed limits. They requested the Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) to reconsider the necessity of submitting a Bank Guarantee of Rs. 10 lacs. He stated that they are fully committed to upgrading their ETP based on ZLD technology by the specified deadline, they assure the esteemed Board that they are prepare to adopt the recommendations of the committee. They request the Board to reconsider the submission of the bank guarantee of Rs. 50 lacs.
After hearing, the manager of the industry, officers of the Board and considering the material facts of the case, the Chairman of the Board in exercise of the powers conferred under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 decided as under:
1. The industry shall continue to operate its pollution control devices regularly and efficiently so as to achieve the prescribed standards.
2. The industry shall submit action plan alongwith PERT Chart for the installation and commissioning of ZLD Plant, within 15 days.
3. The industry shall complete, commission, stabilize and operate the upgraded effluent treatment plant so as to achieve zero liquid discharge, by 30.06.2024, failing which Board shall be constrain to take further action as per the Environmental Laws.
4. The industry shall submit a bank guarantee of Rs. 50 Lac with validity for one year, within 15 days as an assurance that the upgraded ETP based on ZLD technology will be installed and commissioned by 30.06.2024.
5. Consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 be granted to industry upto 30.06.2024.
6. The industry will be re-heard again after 15.06.2024.
7. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office - 4, Ludhiana shall visit the industry and submit comprehensive report / recommendations, within 15 days.
Submitted for confirmation of decisions of the hearing so that the same could be conveyed to industry and concerned officers for compliance of decisions, please.
|
