| File Note: |
The report/ recommendations of RO has been examined and it was noted as under:
# A complaint was received in the Regional Office of the Board, regarding illegal operation of the industry. To verify the contents of the complaint the industry was visited by the officer of Regional Office on 02.09.2024 and during visit it was observed that the industry was violating the provisions of the Water (Prevention & control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and operate without obtaining the Consent to operate from the Board.
# The industry was served notice to issue directions u/s 33-A of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 alongwith an opportunity of personal hearing before the Chief Environmental Engineer (P) of the Board on 23.9.2024with the following proposed directions:
1. That the industry shall take all necessary steps to close down its operations and stop forthwith discharging any efluents/ wastewater into sewer/ into storm water drain/ inland surface water/ onto land for stagnation/ irrigation or through any mode.
2. That the industry will immediately stop its activities and will not restart the same unless all necessary water pollution control measures are taken and it obtains valid consent to operate of the Board as required under the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
3. That the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. authorities shall be directed to disconnect the supply of electricity available to the industry.
4. That the DG set installed by industry (if any) shall be sealed.
# After hearing the representative of the industry and officer of the Board, the Chief Environmental Engineer (P) of the Board decided that Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Regional Office, SAS Nagar shall visit the industry to verify the facts at site as well as contentions given by the industry during the hearing, process consent applications and submit its report within concrete recommendations, within 15-days.
# In compliance of the hearing decision dated 23.09.2024, the site of the industry was visited by officer of the Board on 10.11.2025 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry was in operation during visit.
2. The industry is small scale red category unit and is engaged in the process of Zinc electroplating.
3. The industry has installed 7 barrels for Zinc Plating.
4. The industry has not installed water meter at the source of water supply.
5. The industry was discharging its untreated trade efluent generated from wet process into the storage tank of unknown capacity and same was found 1/3rd filled with effluent.
6. The industry has produced manifest regarding quantity of trade efluent lifted to Bantech as per record-maintained industry has lifted 1000 ltr, 1000 ltr, 700 ltr, 1000 ltr, 1000 ltr, 1500 ltr, 1000 ltr on 28.10.2025, 26.09.2025, 25.06.2025, 26.05.2025,
28.03.2025, 16.01.2025 and 17.02.2025 respectively.
7. The industry is operating its unit without consent to operate of the Board as required under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
# Accordingly, notice to issue directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 alongwith another opportunity to appear in person before the CEE(P) of the Board at Punjab Pollution Control Board, Vatavaran Bhawan, Nabha Road, Patiala on 29.12.2025. The representative of the industry attended the hearing but has failed to submit any written reply w.r.t. the notice issued to the unit.
# After hearing the representatives of the industry, officers of the Board, and material facts on the record, the Chief Environmental Engineer (P) of the Board decided that:
1. The following directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and u/s 31-A of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, are hereby confirmed:
i. That the industry shall stop forthwith discharging any effluent / emissions from its premises or through any mode.
ii. That the industry will immediately stop its activities and will not restart the same unless all necessary water and air pollution control measures are taken and obtains valid consents of the Board.
iii. That the Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd. authorities shall be directed to disconnect the supply of electricity available to the industry, with immediate effect.
iv. That the machinery/ DG sets (if any) installed by the industry shall be sealed to rule out its operations.
# Further, the above directions were issued to the industry as well as PSPCL authorities vide no. 7093-96 dated 08.01.2026 for compliance.
The industry has submitted disconnection order issued by PSPCL authorities vide number 51 dated 04.02.2026.
# Now, the industry has applied fresh Consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 for Job Work for Surface Cleaning of Metal Part @ 500 kg/day.
# The project proponent has submitted electricity bill as proof of date of commissioning as per which date of connection is 22.03.2018.
# The industry had earlier submitted land use classification issued by DTP SAS Nagar vide letter no. 191 dated 13.01.2026, as per which the land falls under Industry, Mixed Industries and also falls under MC limit and FEZ area. Now, the industry has submitted revised land use classification issued by DTP SAS Nagar vide letter no. 66 dated 16.01.2026, as per which the land falls under FEZ zone. Regarding suitability of site, the RO has commented that there is no Municipal Limit, Village lal lakir, phirni and residential area comprising of 15 pucca house located within 100 mtr distance from the site of the industry and the site is suitable for establishment/ operation.
# The project proponent has submitted agreement with CETP Chanalon executed on 19.05.2023 for lifting of trade efluent @ 4000 ltr/month generated from the process.
# The project proponent has submitted approved building plan from the competent person under Factory Act.
# The industry was visited by the officer of the Board on 06.02.2026 and during visit it was observed as under:
1. The industry was not in operation during visit. The electric connection of the industry was found disconnected.
2. The industry has installed 7 barrels for Zinc Plating.
3. The industry has now installed water meter at the process line and has started maintaining the record of water used in process.
4. The industry is collecting trade efluent in storage tank having capacity 15-16 KL and same was found almost empty.
5. The industry has produced manifest regarding quantity of trade efluent lifted to Bantech as per record-maintained industry has lifted @ 800 ltr vide no. 7799 dated 20.01.2026, 700 ltr vide no. 7537 dated 22.12.2025, 800 ltr vide no. 7300 dated 27.11.2025, 1000 ltr vide no. 7037 dated 28.10.2025 respectively.
# The RO has recommended that the Consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be granted for a period of 6 month with suitable and additional conditions and the electricity connection of the industry may be restored temporarily for six months.
In consideration of the report/ recommendations of RO; if approved, the competent authority be recommended as under:
1. The Consents to Operate under the Water (Prevention & control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 may be granted for a short period of six months, to the unit subject to suitable general & additional conditions.
2. The PSPCL authorities be issued amended directions to restore the supply of electricity available to the unit temporarily for six months.
Competency – Hon’ble Chairperson of the Board. |
