| File Note: |
Sub: Proceeding of the personal hearing given before the Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-I, Ludhiana on 17.03.2026 w.r.t. show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 - M/s Taj Sewing Machine Company (Previously known as Guru Amar Industries), D-123-124-125, Phase V, Focal Point, Ludhiana.
The Following were present:
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
Er. Sukhwant Singh, Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Ludhiana.
On behalf of the industry
Sh. Gopal Singh, Manager
The Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Ludhiana brought out that the industry is a small scale electroplating unit and was earlier granted ‘Consent to Operate’ under Water Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH1/2022/19321618 dated 27/10/2022 valid upto 30/06/2027 for manufacturing of Sewing Machine Khol, Sewing Machine Stand, Agriculture Implement (Including Machining and Paint) @ 12 MT/day & Sewing Machine Parts @ 3 Mt/day with trade effluent @ 8000 ltr/month.
The industry was visited by officers of the Board on 27.08.2025 and the industry was found violating the Environmental norms.
The industry was given personal hearing before the Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-I, Ludhiana on 03.12.2025 w.r.t. show cause notice for revocation of 'Consent to Operate' granted under the Water Act, 1974, wherein it was decided as under:-
1. The industry shall regularly lift its trade effluent to the CETP operator in accordance with the agreement and ensure that no trade effluent is discharged into sewer or through any unauthorized means under any circumstances.
2. The industry shall maintain proper daily record of fresh water consumption and effluent lifted to the CETP and shall keep it available at site always.
3. The industry shall provide additional storage tank to avoid any overflow from the main process tank, in case effluent is not lifted in time by re-processor/CETP operator.
4. The industry shall take up the matter with CETP operator for increasing the frequency for lifting of trade effluent, so that timely disposal of the effluent could be ensured.
5. The industry shall install CCTV cameras with 30 days of backup, facing towards the entry gate of the processing shed, fresh water meter installed in processing area & effluent storage tank, within 15 days. The industry shall devise a self-monitoring mechanism through CCTV cameras to ensure that no unmetered fresh water is taken for the process and no illegal disposal is made.
6. The industry shall apply for obtaining varied consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 for actual discharge/ agreement with CETP, within 07 days.
The industry has now applied for obtaining varied ‘Consent to Operate’ under the Water Act, 1974 for manufacturing of Sewing Machine Khol, Sewing Machine Stand, Agriculture Implement (Including Machining and Paint) @ 12 MT/day & Sewing Machine Parts @ 3 Mt/day with trade effluent @ 2000 ltr/month.
To verify the facts, the industry was visited by officer of the board on 17.02.2026 & following observations were made;-
1. The industry was in operation during visit and engaged in manufacturing of sewing machine parts.
2. The industry is generating trade effluent from washing section of sewing machines. The industry has made an revised agreement with M/s JBR Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana for lifting its trade effluent @ 2000 Ltr/month.
3. The domestic effluent generated by the industry is being discharged into sewer.
4. The industry has not installed water meter at the source of water supply leading to the process area and consequently, the industry could not furnish accurate and reliable water consumption and effluent lifted record.
5. The industry has provided 1 no. storage tank of capacity 2000 ltr approx. for storage of effluent.
6. The industry has not provided additional storage tank to avoid any overflow from the main process tank.
7. The industry has not installed CCTV cameras facing towards the entry gate of the processing shed, fresh water meter installed in processing area & effluent storage tank, till date. The industry has not provided self-monitoring mechanism through CCTV cameras to ensure that no unmetered fresh water is taken for the process and no illegal disposal is made.
The industry is not complying with the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the decisions of the above said personal hearing.
In view of the above, the industry was issued show cause notice for violation of the provisions under the Air Act, 1981 with hearing before the Senior Environmental Engineer of the Board on 17.03.2026.
Sh. Gopal Singh, Manager from the industry attended the hearing and submitted written reply which has been taken on record. He submitted that previously the industry was engaged in the manufacturing of Sewing Machine Khol, Sewing Machine Stand and Agricultural Implements (including Machining and Paint processes) for which previous consents were obtained which are valid upto 30.06.2027. For this process, the industry was executed an agreement with CETP operator @ 8,000 Lts/Month. Due to some unavoidable circumstances, the Industry has closed its Sewing Machine Stand and Agricultural Implements section including paint process in March/2023, so the quantity of effluent generation was reduced drastically. Hence, an agreement with CETP operator was revised with reduced quantity from 8,000 Lts/Month to 2,000 Lts/Month on 29.03.2023. He further submitted that on the day of visit dated 27.08.2025 concerned person was out of station. Hence, the water consumption /effluent lifted record could not be produced. Due to changing trend in the market from Paint to Powder Coating process, the paint process is not being operated regularly since the last 2-3 Years. Hence, the trade effluent is not being generated on regular basis. The water consumption and effluent record may be inspected at any time. The industry has provided PVC tank of 2000 Lts capacity to store the effluent arising from the process for lifting of operator of CETP. The industry has also submitted photographs of water meter, CCTV cameras & additional storage tanks.
After hearing the industry, officer of the Board and considering material facts on record, the Senior Environmental Engineer of the Board decided that:-
1. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office-1, Ludhiana shall re-visit the industry to verify the contentions made by the industry during the hearing and send report alongwith further recommendations in the matter within 07 days, so as to decide the consent application.
Submitted for confirmation of decisions of the hearing and for conveying to the industry and Regional Office for compliance of above decisions, please. |
