| File Note: |
1. It is intimated that the industry is a small-scale green category cold store unit.
2. Earlier, a complaint was received against M/s Sharanpal Cold Store, Village Machhipal, Kapurthala for using ammonia gas near residential area and causing nuisance in the area. Thereafter, show cause notice with opportunity of personal hearing on 24.11.2023 before Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-2, PPCB, Jalandhar was issued to the cold store vide no. 3603 dated 17.11.2023. Sh. Shamsher Singh attended the hearing on 17.11.2023. The proceedings of the hearing were issued vide no. 3657 dated 28.11.2023 and the cold store was directed as under: -
i. The industry shall immediately stop discharge of domestic effluent into Village Pond and shall provide septic tank for its treatment.
ii. The industry shall provide canopy on the D.G. set within 15 days.
iii. The industry shall submit land use classification certificate of the site and submit application for consents to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 within 15 days.
iv. The Assistant Environmental Engineer shall visit the cold store after 15 days, verify the contentions and process consent cases on merit.
3. The complaint regarding nuisance being caused by the cold store was received from the Government through the Department of Science Technology and Environment. The complaint was also received from SDM, Kapurthala and Chief Minister Field Officer, Kapurthala.
4. The cold store failed to submit any compliance of above decisions and failed to apply for consent to operate. Therefore, notice u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was issued to the cold store with opportunity of personal hearing before Chief Environmental Engineer, PPCB, Jalandhar on 01.02.2024. The hearing was attended by Sh. Shamsher Singh. Proceedings of hearing were issued vide Board’s letter no. 657 dated 22.02.2024 and the cold store was directed as under: -
i. The industry shall submit safety certificate from the concerned department regarding safe operation of unit within 01-month.
ii. The copy of proceedings be forwarded to the Deputy Director of Factories, Kapurthala for information and necessary action to be taken on the complaint against the cold store.
iii. The industry shall apply for consents under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act 1981 alongwith complete documents within 15-days.
iv. The Regional Office-2, Jalandhar shall visit the industry, verify the compliance made by the industry and submit report within 01-month.
5. Another complaint was received against the cold store from Complaint Cell, Deputy Commissioner, Kapurthala. The cold store failed to submit safety certificate from the Department of Director of Factories, Punjab. The cold store failed to apply for consent to operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
6. Accordingly, directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 was issued to the PSPCL authorities for disconnection of electricity supply available to the cold store vide no. 2498-2501 dated 03.06.2024. Directions were also issued to the cold store to stop its operation and not to restart until it obtains the consents to operate from the Board u/s 25/26 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and u/s 21 of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
7. Thereafter, the industry was granted consent to operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Fresh/KPR/2025/28127946 dated 26.03.2025 valid upto 24.09.2025 and under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Fresh/KPR/2025/28127944 dated 26.03.2025 valid upto 24.09.2025 alongwith directions issued to PSPCL authorities to restore the electricity connection of the industry for 06 months i.e. upto 24.09.2025 with suitable and special condition that:-
i. The industry shall ensure safe operation and ensure that no incident of gas leakage occur in the cold store.
ii. The industry shall submit safety certificate from the concern department within 02 months.
iii. The industry shall submit area classification / continuation certificate from Distt. Town Planner within 02 months
8. Now the industry has applied for fresh consent to operate under Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 through OCMMS of the Board.
9. The industry has deposited Rs 33600 vide receipt no 718759633 dated 20.3.2025 & Rs 25200 vide receipt no 138128491 dated 20.01.2026 under Water Act 1974 and Rs 33600 vide receipt no 28127944 dated 20.3.2025 & Rs 25200 vide receipt no 317196501 dated 20.01.2026 under Air Act 1981, adequate upto 31.03.2030.
10. The industry has submitted copies of test reports issued by Sh. Suhail Gupta of M/s Jandial Engineering & Allied Services, Jalandhar dated 23.09.2025.
11. The industry has submitted copy of a letter issued by Deputy Director Factories, Phagwara, District Kapurthala vide their office letter no. 633 dated 14.10.2025 addressed to the industry in which it is mentioned that the attached reports have been issued by Sh. Suhail Gupta S/o Sh. J.R. Gupta, R/o 03-B, Silver Height Apartment, Nakodar Road, Jalandhar. It is further mentioned in the said letter that Sh. Suhail Gupta is an approved competent person as per the letter no. nil dated 07.03.2025 of Director of Factories, Punjab.
12. In compliance to the directions received from Higher Authorities, this office vide letter no. 2824 dated 18.12.2025 has written to Deputy Director of Factories, Kapurthala regarding clarification of safety certificate issued to the cold store, to the reply of which Deputy Director of Factories, Kapurthala vide letter no. 05 dated 08.01.2026 has mentioned that Sh. Suhail Gupta S/o Sh. J.R. Gupta R/o 03-B, Silver Height Apartment, Nakodar Road, Jalandhar is an approved competent person as per the letter no. nil dated 07.03.2025 of Director of Factories, Punjab. It is further mentioned in the letter that the test reports issued by Sh. Suhail Gupta S/o Sh. J.R. Gupta R/o 03-B, Silver Height Apartment, Nakodar Road, Jalandhar may be treated as Safety Certificate.
13. The industry has submitted land use classification from DTP, Kapurthala vide letter no. 769/DTP(K) dated 03.10.2025 in which it is mentioned that the site falls within the notified Local Planning Area Fattu Dhinga, the Master Plan of which is yet to be prepared; therefore, the land use zone of the site has not been determined. It is further mentioned in the said letter that as per Memo No: 2180-2223 CTP(Pb)/MP-432(G) dated: 14.06.2023 issued by the Director, Town and Country Planning, Punjab, the cold storage activity at the subject site is permissible and the site of the cold store is located on the village phirni.
14. To verify the facts, the industry was visited by Er. Jaspreet Singh, AEE of this office on 21.01.2026 & observed that: -
a. The cold store was not in operation during the visit due to disconnection of electric supply of the cold store by the PSPCL authorities.
b. The domestic effluent and sullage water from toilets are sent to septic tank.
c. Plantation has been provided along boundary wall.
d. The cold store has installed one DG set of capacity 125 KVA with canopy and adequate stack height.
Recommendations: -
Keeping in view of above, it is recommended that: -
1. Consent to operate under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be granted to the unit upto 31.03.2030 with suitable conditions and special condition that: -
a. The industry shall ensure safe operation and ensure that no incident of gas leakage occur in the cold store.
b. The industry shall comply with the letter no. 2180-2183 dated 14.06.2023 of Director, Town & Country Planning, Punjab, the site is suitable and the activity is allowed. If the site falls under non-confirming land use zone after notification of Master Plan, then the industry shall be liable to abide by provisions of Master Plan and shall be bound to follow provisions of Section 79, in case the site falls in non-conforming land use zone.
2. PSPCL authorities may be directed to restore the electric connection of the unit permanently.
(Competency – Hon’ble Chairperson of the Board)
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