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Respected Sir, an amended agenda note replaced below.
It is submitted that the Railway Station was granted a consent under Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Fresh/FGS/2024/27208204 dated 07/11/2024, which is valid upto 31/03/2025 for operation of 1 no. railway siding Goods at railway station Bassi Pathana subject to the suitable terms & conditions mentioned therein.
Now, 1 no. railway siding Goods at railway station Bassi Pathana, has applied for obtaining renewal consents to operate under Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 under green category.
It is further intimated that of Hon’ble NGT order dated 10/11/2019 in the matter of O.A. no. 989/2018 has directed that all the Railway siding/sheds shall obtain consents under the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the authorization under the statutory rules of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
The railway station has deposited consent fee Rs.54000/- vide UTR No. SBIN425023420246 dated 23/01/2025 under Air Act, 1981 is adequate up to 31/03/2030 under Air Act, 1981 as per Board’s office order dated 29/10/2018 against the value of fixed assets (charges payable from 1/4/2020 and arrears will not be liable to be paid only as decided by Hon’ble NGT vide order dated 18/8/2020 in the matter of O.A. no. 141/2014, regarding calculation of fees for railway stations). No penalty/NOC fees has been deposited by the Railway department, as such no such directions are given in Hon'ble NGT orders.
The site was visited by the officer of this office on 21.03.2025 and it was observed as under:
1. The railway siding is situated in the railway station itself.
2. The siding has paved approach road on both side of the track.
3. The representative of the railway station informed that no cement is loaded/ unloaded at this siding and only food grain items are loaded/un-loaded.
4. No permanent water sprinkling system is installed at the siding. But the representative of the railway station informed that water tankers have been used to suppress dust emission during loading/unloading process.
5. One row of plantation is provided near the railway sidings.
6. No Dg set is installed at the siding.
Further, consent renewal under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 for railway goods shed Nakodar has already been granted by Regional Office, Jalandhar on same pattern vide certificate no. CTOA/Fresh/Jal/2023/21245965 dated 21.03.2023, valid upto 31.12.2025.
Keeping in view of above fact and to facilitate the Indian Railway Department as done by other offices of the Board, it is recommended that Consent under Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981 may be renewed for a period upto of upto 31.03.2030 for Railway siding at Bassi Pathana Railway station, with appropriate conditions as per the policy of the Board and with following special conditions:-
1. The railway authorities shall not carry out loading/Un-loading of Coal, Cement or any such material at the siding, which may cause Air Pollution in the vicinity of the area.
2. The railway authorities shall comply with all the Environmental Norms as decided by Hon'ble NGT in the matter of O.A. no. 989/2018, before applying for renewal of consent.
3. The consent is granted based on the document uploaded by the Railway siding and its is not for the Railway station Rajpura and the Railway station, Rajpura shall obtain separate consents under the Water Act,1974 and Air Act,1981 from the Board.
4. The Railway Goods Shed shall not operate any locomotive workshop, washing of coaches or any other polluting activity without the appropriate pollution control devices and without prior approval of the Board.
5. The Railway Goods Shed shall not change its manufacturing process without prior Board’s approval.
6. The Railway Goods Shed shall adopt solid waste management at its site as per the Solid waste Management rules 2016.
7. The Railway Goods shall provide water sprinkling system through mechanized system or tankers to control the dust pollution at the loading/unloading point.
8. The Railway Goods shall provide green belt cover at the loading/unloading point.
(Competency Environmental Engineer)
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