| File Note: |
It is submitted that the subject cited industry is a small scale red category unit and was granted 'Consent to Operate' under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Renewal/LDH2/2023/22544948 dated 30/06/2023 valid upto 30/06/2027 and under Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 vide no. CTOA/Renewal/LDH2/2023/22545186 dated 03/07/2023 valid upto 30/06/2028 for manufacturing of Hardware Goods (Door Fitting Accessory) @ 1800 No.s/day.
Earlier, the industry was given personal hearing given before the Chief Environmental Engineer, Ludhiana on 12.09.2024 w.r.t notice to issue directions u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 alongwith show cause notice for revocation of consent to operate granted under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, wherein, it was decided as under:
1. The industry shall get the trade effluent lifted to CETP operator regularly.
2. The industry shall maintain the record of water consumption in the process and trade effluent got lifted to CETP operator on daily basis.
3. The Environmental Engineer, Regional Office shall visit the industry to carry out water auditing, verify submission made by industry and send further recommendations in the matter.
4. It was made clear to the industry that in case of non-compliance as above, strict action may be taken against the industry without any further notice / opportunity.
To check the compliance of hearing decisions, the site of industry was visited AEE of this office on 20.06.2025 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry was in operation and engaged in the manufacturing and surface treatment of hardware goods.
2. The industry has installed 2 tanks for nickel plating, 1 tank for chrome plating, 1 vibrator of soda ash, 5 no. drums, 1 no. drier and 20 No. Power presses of different capacity.
3. The industry has signed agreement with M/s JBR Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana @ 5000 Ltr/M for lifting its trade effluent.
4. The industry has installed water meter in process area with reading noted to be 20.51 KL.
5. The industry has provided storage tank of capacity 8000 Ltr approx.. which was 60% full.
6. The industry is not getting its trade effluent lifted regularly to the CETP operator.
7. The industry is not maintaining record of fresh water usage and the effluent lifted to CETP Operator on daily basis and the same was last updated on 04.06.2025, so water auditing could not be carried out.
8. The housekeeping of the industry is very poor and the entire acidic effluent was found spilled across the floor of the wet processing area and the effluent was also found stagnated at the main gate area of the industry.
9. Domestic effluent is being discharged into public sewer. From above, it is clear that the industry is not complying with the decisions of hearing held before the CEE on 12.09.2024 and violating the provisions under Water Act, 1974
Accordingly, 'Consent to Operate' under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 revoked vide no. 4742 dated 29.09.2025 and the industry was issued directions u/s 33-A of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. 4744 dated 29.09.2025 for disconnection of electric connection available to the industry. In compliance, PSPCL authorities has disconnected the electric supply of the unit vide TDCO no. 81/103 dated 14/10/2025.
Thereafter, the industry had applied for obtaining fresh consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 with requisite documents. The industry has already deposited consent fee against the un-depreciated fixed assets of Rs. 53.81 Lacs as on 31/03/2025 as per CA certificate dated 09/01/2026, which is adequate upto 30/09/2029 under Water Act, 1974, as per Board's Office Order dated 29/10/2018 after penalty charges 25 % and NOC regularization fee.
The industry was visited by the AEE on 23.02.2026 and it was observed that the industry was in operation despite the directions to the PSPCL authorities for disconnection of electric supply. Accordingly, the consent to operate applied by the industry had been refused and direction u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 has been issued to the industry to seal the polluting machinery of the industry vide ZO letter no. 784 dated 16.03.2026 .
Now, the industry has again applied for consent to operate under Water Act, 1974 through online system.
The industry was visited by Er. Dharatveer Singh, AEE on 30.03.2026 and it was observed that :-
1. The industry was not in operation due to disconnection of electric supply.
2. The sealing of water polluting machinery was carried out in the presence of representative of the industry in compliance of directions issued(photographs attached).
3. During the visit, the effluent storage tank was almost empty.
4. The industry has made agreement with M/s JBR Technology Pvt. Ltd., Ludhiana (CETP) for disposal of its trade effluent @ 5000 ltr/month.
5. The industry has installed water meter on pipeline leading to process area whose reading during visit was 61.81 KL.
6. Domestic effluent generated by the industry is discharged into sewer.
7. The industry has installed 1 no. CCTV camera covering both wet process area and water meter installed at fresh water supply line and a separate CCTV for effluent storage tank.
8. The industry has submitted building plan prepared by Sh. Sukhjinder Singh approved Architect from Director of Factories, Punjab.
The site of the industry falls in Industrial Area-C as per khasra no’s mentioned in the gazette notification.
In the subject cited case, the industry has mentioned ground water extraction @ 0.7 KLD. Considering 25 working days per month, ground water extraction will be 17.5 KL/month, which is less than 300 KL/month.
It is further submitted that vide office memorandum no. 428 dated 23.09.2025 among other decisions the Board has decided as under: “The Bank Guarantee be returned and /or permanent restoration be allowed on compliance of specified violation or submission of necessary document based on single site visit subject to decision of the Competent Authority.”
Further, while processing the consent application (No. 27057285) of M/s Kalsi Sons Fabricators worthy Chairman of the Board has approved to impose environmental compensation amounting to Rs 1.0 Lakh to such small scale industries vide note dated 11.10.2024. As the industry has made compliance of earlier violations.
In view of above, office memorandum, it is recommended that :-
1. The industry may be imposed environmental compensation amounting to Rs 1.0 Lakh being a small scale unit as approved by the Competent Authority in the case M/s Kalsi Sons Fabricators.
2. 'Consent to Operate' under Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 may be granted upto 30/06/2029.
3. PSPCL authorities may be directed to restore the electric connection available with the industry and de-seal of wet process of the industry, permanently after deposition of EC by the industry Competency: Chief Environmental Engineer
|
