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Brief Background:
The details of the consents under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 as well as Environment Clearance obtained by the institute is as under:
Consents to operate Water Act, 1974
CTOW/Varied/PTA/2023/21795967, dated 17/05/2023 (valid upto 31/03/2024)
Air Act, 1981
CTOA/Varied/PTA/2023/21449118 dated 17/05/2023(valid upto 31/03/2024)
For
Total area 1008194 sqm (249.13 acres
Built up area 3,41,407.54 sqm (84.36 acre)
Discharge @ 850 KLD
Environmental Clearances 1.SEIAA/3777 dated 26.6.2015
Total area 1008194 sqm (249.13 acres
Built up area 309416.91 sqm .
Discharge @ 700 KLD
2.SEIAA/914 dated25.01.2016
Total area 1008194 sqm (249.13 acres
Built up area 3,33,080.53 sqm (82.30 acre)
Discharge @ 1.27 MLD.
3. Environmental Clearance granted by the MoEF&CC vide no. F no. IA3-10/7/2021-IA.III dated 12.03.2021 for built-up area 445678.09 sq.mtr (after expansion).
Discharge @ 945 KLD.
NOC The institute had obtained CTE/ NOC for expansion vide no. CTE/Ext/PTA/2023/21451700 dated 17/05/2023 having validity upto 31/03/2024 for built up area of 445678.09 sq.m.
Discharge treated wastewater @ 333 KLD reused for flushing purpose (dual plumbing system) within the premises and treated wastewater @ 571 KLD used for plantation purpose in an area of 196416 sqm. and onto land @10 acres developed as per Karnal Technology.
Present Case:
The institute has applied for obtaining varied of consent to operate under Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 for educational institute having total an area of 1008194 sqm (249.13 acres) and having total Built up area of 3,91,136.1 sqm (96.65 acre) for discharge of domestic effluent @ 694 KLD, onto land for plantation and 132 KLD for recycling purpose under red category alongwith requisite documents.
The industry has also applied NOC for extension under Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 in this office through hardcopy and is being processed separately.
The institute has deposited Rs. 720000/- vide UTR no. SBIN224082719390 dated 22.03.2024 as consent fee on account of the Water Act, 1974 & Rs. 720000/- vide UTR no. SBINR52024032711712651 dated 27.03.2024 as consent fee on account of Air Act, 1981 against the capital investment of Rs. 1342.22 crores as on ¬¬¬¬ 31.03.2024 as per the latest CA certificate submitted by the industry.
The industry has submitted compliance reports of conditions of the consents earlier granted to it under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 as well as NOC for expansion and conditions imposed in EC granted to it. The institute has submitted analysis report of effluent sampling of STP and emission/noise sampling of DG sets conducted by M/s SAI Labs, Patiala. The results are within prescribed limit.
Earlier 5 no. complaints from the residents of Adarsh Colony were received in this office w.r.t air pollution/bad odour being caused by the Sewerage Treatment plant set up in Thapar Institute, Patiala through PGRS portal.
To verify the contents of the complaint team of officials of PPCB Regional Office, Patiala contacted Sh. Anil Singla, Project Manager and Er. Arvind Gupta, Assistant Engineer of Thapar Institute, Patiala on 22.11.2023. The complaint matter was taken up with the authorities of the Institute and they informed that they have provided 15 ft. barricade along with thick plantation belt along with boundary wall towards the colony in order to mitigate the odour issue. Also mist fans have been provided along the STP. Thereafter, PPCB team and official of Thapar Institute, visited Adarsh Colony, at the backside of the Thapar Institute and the problem of bad odour was not sensed during visit. The complainant and residents residing immediately at the back side of the institute were contacted and they informed that the problem of bad odour was not sensed during day time but the problem of bad odour from the Sewerage Treatment Plant installed in the Institute is sensed generally in the evening and night hours which is problematic for them. The complainant Dr. Amrinder Singh informed telephonically that they had earlier filed complaint in the Board but till date no resolution has been made and the residents of the area are suffering from the problem of bad odour especially during evening hours. The team than visited the STP of institute and it was observed that the STP is comprising of collection tank, anaerobic baffle tank, oxygenation cum settling tank, MGF and ACF was in operation. It was observed that the collection tank and oxygenation tank cum settling tank are of very large sizes and are open to atmosphere. The problem of odour can arise in the morning and evening hours due to inversion environmental conditions especially from the raw sewage collection tank which is open to atmosphere. The institute authorities informed that they are already in the process of finding a suitable alternative to the existing STP. From the perusal of the record file, it is observed that earlier also similar complaints of bad odour from the residence of Adarsh Nagar against the Thapar Institute, Patiala has been received in the Board.
Samples from the outlet of STP were collected and sent to Board’s lab for analysis. The analysis results reveals that the concentration of pH : 7.7, TSS : 72 mg/l, TDS : 722 mg/l, COD : 156 mg/l, BOD : 50 mg/l, Oil & Grease 5.8 mg/l. The above said analysis report reveals that the concentration of various parameters is within permissible limits as prescribed by the Board.
Meanwhile, another complaint against the institute was received in this office through email that there are 15000 students, staff and local people working / living in the institute and there is in own going construction inside the campus from 2014, which is a cause of skin allergy, eye irrigation, throat irrigation and sneezing, asthma, cancer, infertility etc. There is generation of dust and ultrafine PM from the said construction, which is a cause of illness. Further, the institute has not obtained clearance from various authorities.
The institute was visited by the EE alongwith the undersigned on 26.04.2024 and contacted Sh. Anil Singla, Project Manager at site. During visit, it was observed as under:
1. The construction work of Hostel D, G+8, FRF and FRG, Venture lab was in progress. The construction work of 2nd floor of the New Arts Block has been completed. The institute has submitted list of projects whose construction is to be undertaken (copy attached).
2. The STP installed by the institute for the treatment of domestic effluent was found in operation. The reading at flow meter installed at inlet of STP was 169385.9 m3 (72.7 m3/hr) and outlet of STP was 515688.878 m3 (94.9 m3/hr). From the perusal of the record maintained by the institute, the flow at the outlet of STP has reached at 2.3 MLD in previous months and the average discharge has been much more than the consented discharge or discharge for which varied consent /NOC expansion has been applied.
3. The treated effluent after STP was being utilized for plantation purpose in various pockets maintained by way of providing ridges & furrows as well as lawns/plantation in the premises.
4. The team than visited the STP of institute and it was observed that the STP is comprising of collection tank, anaerobic baffle tank, oxygenation cum settling tank, MGF and ACF was in operation. Samples were collected and sent to Boards Lab for analysis . Results are awaited.
5. It was observed that the collection tank and oxygenation tank cum settling tank are of very large sizes and are open to atmosphere. The problem of odour arise in the morning and evening hours due to inversion environmental conditions especially in winter season. The representative of the institute has informed that they are already in the process of finding a suitable alternative to the existing STP by forming a committee of experts. The air lab was contacted for monitoring of gases but it was informed that they do not have any such equipment to measure gases or odour. The office then borrowed Gas Detector from MC Patiala and tried to monitor gases from the complaint area but the Gas Detector was unable to give any representative values.
6. As per EC condition fresh water requirement shall not exceed 826 KLD during operational phase, whereas, as per Annexure-8 of water flow meter details submitted along with the EC compliance, the average water abstraction is 2099.11 m3/day for the period April, 2023 to September, 2023, hence the water requirement is much higher than the consented capacity for which EC has been obtained. The representative informed that they are in the process of obtaining amended EC and the authorities were guided to make the above said amendments w.r.t fresh water consumption and consented discharge.
7. The institute has provided compost pits (about 6 nos.) at the backside of the STP but major solid waste is being given to outside vendors or Hari Bhari as informed by the representative of the institute.
8. The institute has submitted compliance of EC conditions and it was observed that the in compliance to condition no. 4 (viii), the institute has not installed mechanical composter of 7 Ton capacity and non-biodegradable / domestic solid waste is being handed over to non-authorized local vendors. No data w.r.t management of solid waste is available with the authorities. The institute has submitted certificate no. 93 dated 05.02.2014 issued by MC, Patiala for disposal of solid waste at dump site.
9. The institute has provided DG sets of various capacities equipped with canopy and adequate stack height.
10. There is an ambient air monitoring station installed by the Board in the campus . As per the data received from the Air Lab from December 2023 to Feb 2024, although the PM10 concentration is less than 100 ug/m3(24 Hour National Ambient Air Quality Standard) but the monthly average is greater than 60 ug/m3 (Annual National Ambient Air Quality Standard)on all three months.
The institute is not complying with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 and the institute being a bulk waste generator is required to provide complete in house management of solid waste.
In view of above, if approved, SEE ZO-1 may be recommended that the institute may be heard by the competent authorities of the Board by issuing notice with an opportunity of personal hearing under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 before refusing the application.
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