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Subject: Proceedings of the personal hearing given by Chairperson of the Board on 15.01.2026 w.r.t show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 - M/s Vardhman Spinning and General Mills, Chandigarh Road, Ludhiana.
The following were present:
On behalf of PPCB
Er. Lavneet Kumar Dubey, Member Secretary
Er. R.K. Ratra, CEE, Ludhiana
Er. Kuldeep Singh, SEE, ZO-2, Ludhiana
On behalf of industry
No one attended the hearing
Senior Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana brought out that the industry was granted ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no: 2401964469 dated 15.04.2024 through PBIP Business First Portal, which had expired on 30.06.2024. The said consent was granted for operation of dyeing unit to manufacture Dyed yarn @ 7260 MT/Annum, Cotton & Blended Yarn @ 10475.817 MT/Annum and Synthetic Yarn @ 9100.41MT/Annum alongwith discharge of trade effluent @ 2000 KLD into sewer line of MCL after treatment through ETP.
The Government of Punjab issued directions vide orders no. 10/228/2019/STE-5/1594066/1 dated 10.10.2019 u/s 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 to the effect that “industrial effluents and dairy waste whether treated / partially treated or untreated shall not be discharged into Municipal sewer.”
All large-scale dyeing units of Ludhiana which are discharging their treated trade effluent into sewer line of MCL were required to install ZLD technology by 31.03.2024 as directed by the Punjab Pollution Control Board’s letter no: 25440-43 dated 02.12.2022.
The industry was afforded an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board on 16.06.2023, wherein it was 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 along with 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 31.03.2024, 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 31.03.2024.
The Government of Punjab vide letter no: 111 dated 12.03.2024 had extended the time period for discharge of treated effluent of large-scale dyeing units upto 30.06.2024. The Government of Punjab had not further extended this time period.
The industry had not submitted PERT Chart for the installation & commissioning of ZLD Plant and not submitted any bank guarantee of Rs. 50 lacs as an assurance that the upgraded ETP based on ZLD technology.
The industry was violating the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 by not complying with the directions issued by the Government of Punjab.
Accordingly, the industry was afforded an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board on 13.08.2024 w.r.t notice to issue directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 as amended in 1988, wherein it was decided as under:
1. Directions u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 be issued to the industry not to operate its outlet for discharge of trade effluent into sewer without obtaining prior permission/ consent of the Board.
2. Directions u/s 33- A of the Water Act, 1974 be issued to the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana to immediately disconnect the sewer connection available to the industry for disposal of its trade effluent.
3. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall calculate the amount of Environmental Compensation to be imposed on the industry for operating in non-compliance of the order issued by the Board vide letter no. 111 dated 12.03.2024 and put up to the Competent Authority, immediately.
4. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall review the monthly progress w.r.t upgradation of the ETP by adopting ZLD technology.
5. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall ensure compliance of the above directions after 15 days.
In compliance of decision no. 01, the industry was issued following directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide letter no. 5756 dated 25.09.2024:
“That, the industry shall not operate its outlet for discharge of trade effluent into sewer without obtaining prior permission/ consent of the Board.”
In compliance of decision no. 02, the Commissioner, Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana was issued following directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide letter no. 5758 dated 25.09.2024:
“That, the Municipal Corporation, Ludhiana shall disconnect the sewer connection available to the industry for disposal of its trade effluent, immediately.”
The industry had not closed down its outlet for discharge of trade effluent into the sewer.
The industry was not complying with the directions issued u/s 33- A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 to it by the Board.
The industry was again afforded an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board on 03.01.2025, wherein it decided as under:
1. The industry shall complete and commission the upgraded effluent treatment plant so as to achieve zero liquid discharge as early as possible and submit the PERT Chart with revised timeline, within a week.
2. The industry shall deposit Environmental Compensation of Rs. 13,20,000/-, as already imposed for the period from 01.07.2024 to 13.08.2024 by the Board vide letter no. 50 dated 03.01.2025, within 15 days.
3. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall monitor the progress w.r.t. completion of ZLD system in the 1st week of February and the industry be re-heard on 14.02.2025 to review the progress, accordingly.
4. Further action in the matter will be taken after reviewing monthly progress of the industry regarding upgradation of ETP based on ZLD system. If the progress is found not satisfactory, then suitable action as per the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 will be taken against the industry.
Thereafter, the industry applied for renewal of ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for production of dyed yarn @ 20000 Kgs/day, cotton & blended yarn @ 28859 Kgs/day & synthetic yarn @ 25070 Kgs/day and to discharge trade effluent @ 2000 KLD into sewer after treatment through ETP.
The industry had not submitted bank guarantee of Rs. 50 lakh as an assurance to upgrade ETP based on ZLD technology as per decisions of the personal hearing dated 16.06.2023. The industry had also not deposited Environmental Compensation of Rs. 13,20,000/- as earlier imposed upon the industry.
The industry was again afforded an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chairman of the Board on 04.03.2025, wherein it was decided as under:-
1. The industry shall deposit the Environmental Compensation of Rs. 13,20,000/- as imposed by the Board, immediately, without any further delay.
2. The industry shall ensure that the work of installation of ZLD system is completed well within the timelines committed by the industry as per the PERT chart submitted vide letter dated 03.03.2025.
3. The industry will submit the progress with respect to the upgradation of ETP to ZLD technology well before the 5th of every month alongwith the photographs and expenditure details vis-à-vis the timelines given in the PERT chart.
4. Consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & control of Pollution) Act, 1974 be granted to the industry upto 31.12.2025. Before, the issuance of consent, necessary requisite required for the consent including consent fee and documents are to be checked.
5. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall monitor the installation work of ZLD system regularly as per the timelines mentioned in the PERT chart and submit monthly report to the higher authorities along with his recommendations.
The industry had deposited Environmental Compensation to amounting Rs. 13,20,000/- dated 13.03.2025.
Thereafter, the industry was granted ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH3/2025/27951646 dated 28/03/2025 having validity upto 31/12/2025. The said consent was granted for production of dyed yarn @ 20000 Kgs/day, cotton & blended yarn @ 28859 Kgs/day & synthetic yarn @ 25070 Kgs/day alongwith discharge of trade effluent @ 2000 KLD into sewer line of MCL after treatment through ETP.
The industry has applied for renewal of ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for the production of dyed yarn @ 20000 Kgs/day, cotton & blended yarn @ 28859 Kgs/day & synthetic yarn @ 25070 Kgs/day and to discharge trade effluent @ 2000 KLD into sewer after treatment through ETP.
The industry was visited by the officers of the Board on 21.11.2025 and it was observed as under:-
1. The industry was in operation during visit and engaged in the process of dyeing of yarn, cotton and blended yarn and synthetic yarn.
2. The industry has installed ETP of capacity 02 MLD and was working during visit. ETP was connected to OCEMS system and the reading of OCEMS was as follows: TSS- 16.53 mg/l, COD- 42.78 mg/l, BOD- 7.39 mg/l, Ph- 7.67.
3. The treated wastewater was being discharged into MC sewer.
4. The industry has installed one boiler of 10 TPH steam generation capacity with electrostatic precipitator as APCD and multi cyclone is also provided as a standby arrangement. Rick husk was used as a fuel, which was in dry condition.
5. Effluent and emission samples were also collected during visit.
6. Construction work of ZLD was going on at the site, civil work is almost completed and installation of mechanical and electrical equipment’s is going on.
7. The industry has submitted a pert chart and according to this pert chart, the industry is around two month behind the proposed schedule of installation of ZLD.
The industry was not complying with the decisions of the personal hearing afforded to it before the Chairman of the Board and thus violating the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, due to above said reasons.
Accordingly, show cause notice for refusal the Consent to Operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 was issued to the industry with an opportunity of personal hearing before Chairperson of the Board on 07.01.2026 postponed to 15.01.2026.
The SEE,ZO-2, Ludhiana apprised the chair that the industry vide its e-mail dated 15.01.2026 had informed that due to unforeseen emergency the industry will not be able to attend the hearing and requested for adjournment of the same.
After detailed deliberation, the Chairperson of the Board decided as under:-
1. The application for obtaining Consent to Operate applied by the industry under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 be returned and the industry shall re-apply for obtaining consent with requisite documents and the latest status of installation of ZLD system for treatment of wastewater generated by the unit........................
2. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-3, Ludhiana shall visit the industry and process the application for obtaining consent on merits..............
Submitted for confirmation of decisions and conveying it to all the concerned for compliance, please.
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