| File Note: |
It is submitted that the subject site industry was granted consent to operate under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Varied/FGS/2023/23478014 dated 20/09/2023 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Varied/FGS/2023/23478007 dated 20/09/2023, both were valid upto 31/12/2023 for manufacturing of TMT Bars, Angels & Channels @ 400 MTD for operation of reverberatory furnace using Pulverized Coal/Furnace Oil/PNG subject to the suitable terms & conditions mentioned therein under Orange category.
Thereafter, the industry was issued show cause notice for violations of the provisions of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 alongwith an opportunity of personal hearing before the CEE (B) on 18/12/2023, wherein, it was decided as under:
1. The industry shall comply with the fuel policy for industries of State of Punjab issued by the Deptt. of Science, Technology & Environment vide letter no. 469 dated 04/10/2023 and Action Plan for Clean Air, Mandi Gobindgarh.
2. The industry shall immediately shift its unit to the PNG/ CNG.
3. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Fatehgarh Sahib shall verify the compliance of Action Plan for Clean Air, Mandi Gobindgarh by the industry within 15 days and submit report alongwith clear cut recommendations, thereafter.
In compliance to the hearing decisions, the industry was visited by the AEE of this office on 13/05/2024 and during visit, it was observed that the industry has failed to comply with the fuel policy for industries of State of Punjab issued by the Deptt. of Science, Technology & Environment vide letter no. 469 dated 04/10/2023 and Action Plan for Clean Air, Mandi Gobindgarh as the industry is still using coal as fuel. Accordingly, the report was sent to the Competent Authority and the industry was issued show cause notice for violations of the provisions of the Air Act, 1981 alongwith an opportunity of personal hearing before CEE (B) on 31/05/2024; however, the same was postponed till further orders.
Now, the industry has applied for obtaining varied consent to operate under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 for manufacturing of TMT Bars, Angels & Channels @ 400 MTD for operation of reverberatory furnace using PNG as fuel under Green category alongwith requisite documents and consent fee.
As per the record file, the fee deposited by the industry under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was adequate upto 31/03/2024 against the fixed assets of Rs. 1629.29 lacs. Now, the industry has submitted the CA certificate dated 06/052024, wherein, it has mentioned that the total value of fixed assets of the industry as on 30/04/2024 is Rs. 2089.82 lacs with value of plant & machinery is Rs. 1892.09 lacs. Accordingly, the industry has deposited the consent fee amounting to Rs. 21,600/- vide R. No. 446609226 dated 13/06/2024 & Rs. 30,000/- vide R. No. 331382246 dated 13/06/2024 under the Water Act, 1974 and Rs. 21,600/- vide R. No. 955654517 dated 20/06/2024. As such, after adjusting NOC regularization fee amounting to Rs. 8400/- for increase in cost of fixed assets and deducting 50% penalty under the both Acts, the fee deposited by the industry under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 is adequate upto 31/01/2025 as per Board's office order dated 29/10/2018.
The industry has submitted the building plan approved from the Competent Person, approved under Punjab Factory Act on 30/04/2024.
To verify the contents of the application, the industry was visited by the undersigned on 20/06/2024 and during visit, it was observed as under:
1. The industry is a steel rolling mill and was found in operation.
2. The industry has installed 1 no. reverberatory furnace and is using PNG as fuel.
3. The industry has provided interlocking tiles on the entry/exit point and on the vehicle movement area within the premises.
4. The industry has installed one no. D.G. set of capacity 125 KVA, which is equipped with canopy and stack of adequate height.
5. No water is used in the process, so no trade effluent is generated.
6. The industry has provided septic tank for the treatment of domestic wastewater and the same is being disposed off onto land for plantation after passing through septic tanks.
It is pertinent to mention here that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFF&CC) has issued a notification dated 07/06/2024 (copy attached), stating that the Standalone rolling or re-rolling or extrusion or piercing or forging or drawing units not involving any type of melting or pickling are exempted.
It is further submitted that the Govt. of India, Ministry of Jal Shakti, Deptt. of Water Resources RD&GR Central Ground Water Authority, New Delhi has issued directions u/s 5 of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 vide letter no. CGWA-21/6/2020-CGWA-101 dated 06/04/2022“that it shall be mandatory for the Project Proponent abstracting ground water to obtain NOC from CGWA or the concerned State/UT Ground Water Authority as the case made be in the compliance condition in consent to operate and consent to establish issued by the State Pollution Control Board.” Accordingly, the Board vide letter no. 1955-57 dated 18/01/2023 has informed all the officers of the Board in continuation to earlier circular no. CEE(HQ)/2018/7956-84 dated 03/03/2018 and 768-97 dated 13/01/2021 to ensure the compliance of the said directions.
PWRDA vide notification dated 27.01.2023 has exempted units from obtaining any permission of the authority, which are extracting not more than 300 cubic meters of ground water per month.
In the subject cited case, the industry has mentioned ground water extraction @ 26 KLD. Considering 25 working days per month, groundwater extraction wills be 650 KL/month, which is more than 300 KL/month. However, the industry has not obtained permission from PWRDA.
In view of the facts mentioned above, if approved, it is recommended as under:
1. Show cause notice issued for violations of the provisions of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be dropped.
2. That the varied consent to operate under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 for manufacturing of TMT Bars, Angels & Channels @ 400 MTD may be granted upto 31/01/2025 with suitable conditions and additional conditions that:
a) The industry shall use only PNG and will not use any other fuel under any circumstances.
b) The industry shall comply with all the Rules & Regulation issued by the Board for such type of industry.
c) The industry shall maintain it's already stabilized its vehicular movement area within industry/entry/exit points, to suppress the dust emissions.
d) The industry shall install sensor/ hooting system to sensitize the labor/worker as and when there will be any leakage of gas occurs.
e) The industry shall depute skilled manpower to operate rolling mills based on PNG.
f) The industry shall ensure that it will not emit the black smoke under any circumstance.
g) The entrepreneur/industry shall obtain necessary statutory permissions /clearances from all other concerned departments.
h) The industry shall obtain NOC of the Board, if it changes any of its product/capacity of the plant.
i) The industry shall promote use of alternatives of single use plastics (SUP) and awareness to discourage use of plastic, through their Corporate Environment Responsibility (CER) activities.
Scale- Green (Large)
Date of Receipt of Application- 23/06/2024
Date of Scrutiny- 24/06/2024
Date of Visit- 20/06/2024
Target date of Deemed Approval- 15/07/2024
Competency- CEE |
