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It is submitted that the facility is large scale orange category unit. The facility was earlier granted consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH4/2022/16769151 dated 14/01/2022, upto 30/09/2024 with suitable conditions and special conditions that:
1. The project proponent will renew the agreement with the authorized agency for lifting of municipal solid waste before its expiry.
2. The project proponent shall comply with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
3. The facility will obtain the permission for the use/abstraction of ground water as per the requirements of Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). In absence of obtaining of permission, the operation of the facility is entirely at its risk and cost and the Board will not be responsible for any loss, in case the CGWA will prohibit the abstraction/use of water on account of non-obtaining of such permission.
4. The project proponent shall comply with the manufacture, storage and import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (as amended) and submit the details on onside emergency plan, safety reports and safety audit reports in accordance with the manufacture, storage and import of hazardous chemical Rules, 1989, in case the facility or installation handling hazardous chemicals quantity equal to or more than the threshold quantity specified in the said rules.
5. The project proponent shall provide adequate arrangement for fire fighting and against any accidental leakage/discharge of any air pollutant/gas/ liquids form the vessels, mechanical equipment’s etc, which are likely to cause environmental pollution.
6. The project proponent to obtain necessary permissions from the concerned authorities like Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana and Deptt. Of Labor/Director of Factories, Punjab with respect to the above safety measures.
7. The project proponent along with mechanical composter may also develop the manual composting / vermin-composting to manage organic wastes.
The facility was visited by officer of the Board on 19.08.2024 to verify the compliance and it was observed as under:
1. The facility is a retailer of everyday items engaged in storage and selling of various households products.
2. The facility has installed STP of capacity 25 KLD based on SBR technology, but during visit STP was not in operation. As such, samples of STP could not be collected during the visit.
3. The facility has obtained consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for discharge of domestic effluent @ 22.5 KLD (partially for flushing & partially for onto land for irrigation/plantation.
4. The facility could not produce any record regarding fresh water consumption from submersible, generation of effluent, treated effluent, reuse of treated effluent for flushing & plantation, chemical used, sludge generation from STP. Further, the facility could not produce any record of STP operation w.r.t water meter & energy meter readings.
5. The facility has not revised/renewed agreement with any authorized solid waste management agency despite raising clarification.
6. The project proponent was not complying with the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and conditions of earlier granted consent to operate.
Accordingly, show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 was issued to the facility with an opportunity of personal hearing before Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana on 16.09.2024 and wherein it was decided as under:
1. The project proponent shall submit, within 07 days, a bank guarantee of Rs. 02 Lacs as an assurance to operate the STP properly and efficiently.
2. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-4, Ludhiana shall visit the project to verify the contentions of the project proponent, collect samples and process the consent applications on merits.
The proceedings were conveyed to the facility vide Board's letter no. 5712 dated 23.09.2024. And whereas, the case was examined and it was observed that the project proponent has not submitted a bank guarantee of Rs. 02 Lacs, till date. The project proponent is not complying with the decisions of the hearing dated 16.09.2024.
Thereafter, the facility was found non complying with the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 its renewal of consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 through OCMMS on 13.08.2024 was refused vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH4/2024/26539081 dated 28/10/2024.
The consent to operate under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was granted vide no. CTOA/Renewal/LDH4/2024/26546312 dated 28/10/2024, upto 30/09/2028
Now the facility has applied renewal of consent to operate under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 through OCMMS on 09.11.2024.
The facility has deposited consent fee Rs. 1,44,000/- vide R.No. 897576364 dated 13.08.2024 under Water Act, 1974 against the gross block value of fixed assets of Rs. 23,64,47,646/- as on 03.07.2024. The consent is adequate upto 30.09.2027.
The gross block value of fixed assets of the industry have been increased from Rs. 21,05,58,057/- to Rs. 23,64,47,646/- i.e. Rs. 2,58,89,589/- during the period 16.08.2021 to 03.07.2024. The industry has submitted following reasons for increase in fixed assets:- Increase in the Leasehold Improvement, Bio Compost Machine, CCTV, Civil Work, Cold room Machinery, DG Sets, Electricals, Fire Fighting System, Forklifts & Batteries, HVAC, RO System, STP, etc. It has further submitted that there is no new construction of any structure and its layout/building plan has remained same. The industry has deposited of Rs. 10,000/- vide R.No. 682594227 dated 11.09.2024 as NOC regularization fee, which is adequate. Also, in compliance of hearing decision on dated 16.09.2024, the facility has submitted a bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 02 Lacs vide bearing no. PEBBGE284881 dated 24.10.2024, which is valid upto 10.11.2025. The facility was visited by AEE of this office on 25.09.2024 to verify the compliance of the above and it was observed as under:-
1. The facility is a retailer of everyday items engaged in storage and selling of various households products.
2. The facility has provided 04 cold rooms for storage of food items. HFCs are used as coolants.
3. The facility has provided one STP of capacity 25 KLD but same was found not in operation.
4. The facility has installed STP based on SBR technology and has following components collection discharge for re-use for flushing, activated carbon filter, dual media filter, SBR tank and for discharge onto plantation. During the visit, effluent sample was collected from the final outlet of the STP. The analysis report has received from Zonal Laboratory, Ludhiana vide endst letter no. 2273-75 dated 11.10.2024. All parameters were found within the prescribed limits of the Board.
5. The facility is maintaining the record regarding fresh water consumption from submersible, generation of effluent from the final outlet of the STP, chemical used and operation of STP, sludge generation from STP.
6. The facility has executed an agreement with authorized agency lifting for solid waste generated by it.
7. The facility has installed 02 D.G. sets of capacities 380 KVA each equipped with canopy along with adequate stack height.
8. The facility is complying with the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
9. Also, in compliance of hearing decision on dated 16.09.2024, the facility has submitted a bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 02 Lacs vide bearing no. PEBBGE284881 dated 24.10.2024, which is valid upto 10.11.2025.
In view of above, it is recommended that consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 may be granted to the facility upto 30.09.2027 with suitable conditions as per Board's policy and with special conditions that:
1. The project proponent shall comply with the Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
2. The facility will obtain the permission for the use/abstraction of ground water as per the requirements of Central Ground Water Authority (CGWA). In absence of obtaining of permission, the operation of the facility is entirely at its risk and cost and the Board will not be responsible for any loss, in case the CGWA will prohibit the abstraction/use of water on account of non-obtaining of such permission.
3. The project proponent shall comply with the manufacture, storage and import of Hazardous Chemical Rules, 1989 (as amended) and submit the details on onside emergency plan, safety reports and safety audit reports in accordance with the manufacture, storage and import of hazardous chemical Rules, 1989, in case the facility or installation handling hazardous chemicals quantity equal to or more than the threshold quantity specified in the said rules.
4. The project proponent shall provide adequate arrangement for fire fighting and against any accidental leakage/discharge of any air pollutant/gas/ liquids form the vessels, mechanical equipment’s etc, which are likely to cause environmental pollution.
5. The project proponent to obtain necessary permissions from the concerned authorities like Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana and Deptt. Of Labor/Director of Factories, Punjab with respect to the above safety measures.
6. The project proponent along with mechanical composter may also develop the manual composting / vermin-composting to manage its organic wastes.
The competency to decide the application lies with Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana.
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