| File Note: |
Subject: Proceedings of the personal hearing given before the Chairperson of the Board on 10.04.2026 w.r.t. show cause notice for refusal of consent to operate applied under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 - M/s Gian Sagar Educational and Charitable Trust (Medical College & Hospital and Dental College & Hospital) Complex, Village Ram Nagar, Tehsil Rajpura, Distt. Patiala.
The Following were present: -
On behalf of Punjab Pollution Control Board
1. Er. Lavneet Kumar, Member Secretary
2. Er. Gursharan Dass Garg, Senior Environmental Engineer (ZP-I)
3. Er. Arshdeep Singh, Environmental Engineer (ZP-1)
On behalf of the HCF
Sh. A.K Mishra, Principal
Sh. Vikas, Manager
At the outset, Senior Environmental Engineer, (ZP-1) brought out that: -
The subject cited hospital was given personal hearings by the Hon'ble Chairman of the Board, on 27/11/2024 which was attended by Sh. Surinder Singh, Consultant on behalf of the unit and submitted that the representative of the hospital attended the hearing and failed to submit any written reply. He accepted that the hospital was not complying with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the provisions of the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 at the time of visit. He informed that the hospital is now in the process of complying with the environmental laws. Therefore, after hearing the officer of the Board, representative of the industry and material facts on the record, the Chairman of the Board decided as under:
1. The authorization obtained by the hospital under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 shall be cancelled, due to reasons as mentioned above.
2. The hospital shall deposit the bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 5.0 lacs renewed and submit it in the office of the Regional Office, Patiala of the Board, within 7 days.
3. The hospital shall apply for obtaining varied consents to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 as well as fresh authorization under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 for the total beds/chairs capacity of the hospital, within 7 days.
4. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala in consultation with Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Patiala shall calculate the Environmental Compensation to be imposed on the hospital due to its failure to comply with the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 separately, get it verified from the Committee of the Board constituted to recheck/verify the Environmental Compensation amount and get the orders for imposition of Environmental Compensation issued from the Competent Authority of the Board, within 10 days.
5. The hospital shall deposit Environment Compensation (s) in the office of Environmental Engineer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Regional Office, Patiala for violating the Environmental norms, due to damage caused to the environment, for which orders shall be issued by the Board separately.
6. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall process the consent as well as authorization applications to be applied by the hospital on merits.
7. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall explain the reasons for delay in sending the report in the subject cited matter, within 7 days.
8. A team of officers of the Board comprising of Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Patiala, Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Patiala and Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall visit the hospital to verify the latest status of compliance of environmental laws by the hospital. The team shall also carry out effluent monitoring during the visit and submit its detailed report with conclusive recommendations within one month.
9. It is made clear to the hospital that in case if continuous violation by the hospital is observed by the Board, the Board shall issue closure orders of the hospital u/s 33-A of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the entire responsibility to shift the patients and make alternate arrangements will be of Medical Superintendent of the hospital.
10. Further action shall be taken immediately after the receipt of the report/recommendations from the above team.
In reference to decision no. 4, the Environmental Compensation amounting to Rs. 1,99,44,000/- (Rs. One crore ninety-nine lakh forty-four thousand only) due to failure to comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 was issued by the Competent Authority vide no. 494 dated 11.11.2025. However, the HCF has failed to deposit the said EC till date.
In compliance to the hearing decision no. 8, a team of the officers of the Board headed by the Senior Environmental Engineer (ZP-1) was visited the hospital on 03.02.2025 and during visit, the hospital was again found not complying with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 as well as with the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The hospital was given personal hearing by the Hon'ble Chairman of the Board, on 23.04.2025 and after hearing the officer of the Board, representative of the industry and material facts on the record, the Chairman of the Board decided as under:
1. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall immediately encash the bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 5.0 lacs of the hospital lying with the Board.
2. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall calculate the Environmental Compensation to be imposed on the hospital for further period i.e. after 27.11.2024 i.e. from last date of hearing due to its failure to comply with the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 separately, get it verified from the Committee of the Board constituted to recheck / verify the Environmental Compensation amount and get the orders for imposition of Environmental Compensation issued from the Competent Authority of the Board, within 07 days.
3. The hospital shall deposit the Environment Compensation to be imposed by the Board on it for violating the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
4. The hospital shall comply with the entire observations raised by the team of the visiting officers of the Board within one month and shall immediately apply to obtain consent to operate of the Board under the provisions of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
5. It was made clear to the hospital that in case the hospital again fails to comply with the environmental norms, strict action shall be taken including closure of the hospital without any further notice/opportunity.
6. The hospital shall prepare inventory of the E-waste lying within its premises and shall dispose of the same to the authorized E-waste recycler under the intimation of the Board.
7. A team of officers of the Board comprising of Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Patiala, Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-1, Patiala and Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall visit the hospital in the second week of June, 2025 to verify the contentions of the hospital made during the hearing and other compliance of environmental laws by the hospital and submit its detailed report with conclusive recommendations.
8. Further action shall be taken after the receipt of the report of the team of the officers after its visit.
In reference to decision no. 1, it is submitted that the bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 5.0 lacs submitted by the HCE was encashed vide R. No. 32/5352 dated 23.05.2025.
In compliance to the decision no. 2, the Environmental Compensation amounting to Rs. 65,59,875/- (Rs. Sixty-Five Lakh fifty-nine thousand eight hundred seventy-five only) due to failure to comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016 was issued by the Competent Authority vide no. 25 dated 22.01.2026. However, the HCF has failed to deposit the said EC till date.
In reference, to decision no. 4, the HCE had earlier applied for obtaining varied CTOs under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 through PBIP portal as well as authorization under the BMW Rules, 2016 through OCMMS, which were returned by the Competent Authority due to non- deposition of Environmental Compensation.
The hospital has now applied for obtaining varied consent to operate under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 for operation of 650 beds and 210 dental chairs alongwith requisite documents.
The HCE has submitted the agreement executed with M/s Rainbow Environments Pvt. Ltd. for lifting of bio-medical waste for 650 no. beds, which is valid upto 31.03.2028. Further, the HCE has also submitted the agreement executed with M/s Rainbow Environments Pvt. Ltd. for lifting of bio-medical waste for 210 no. dental chairs, which is valid upto 23.03.2028.
The hospital was visited by officers of the Board on 18.11.2025 and Dr. A.K. Mishra was contacted. During visit, it was observed as under:
1. The complex comprises of various components such as Hospital Section with 650 bedded capacity, Laboratory, 10 no. OTs, Dental College with Chairs; Medical Hospital Accommodation (Boys Hostel no. 1 and Girls Hostel 2 No.); Dental College Accommodation (Boys Hostel no. 1 and Girls Hostel 1 No.); Residences for Doctors, Nursing, Technical Staff (3 BHK, 2 ВНК, 1 BHK units).
2. The representative informed that the domestic effluent from all components of complex is treated in the STP, which was found in operation. The condition of the clarifier has now improved.
3. As per the record, the samples were collected from the inlet & outlet of STP by the officers of the Board on 21.11.2025 and the analysis results are tabulated as below:
Sr.
No. Parameters Units Results
Inlet of STP Outlet of STP
1 pH - 7.6 7.6
2 Total Suspended Solids mg/l 70 11
3 Total Dissolved Solids mg/l 527 491
4 Chemical Oxygen Demand mg/l 161 28
5 Bio- Chemical Oxygen Demand mg/l 42 7
6 Oil & Grease mg/l 6.2 BDL
7 Bio-Assay - - Zero% survival of fish in 100% effluent after 96 hours
From above, it is clear that the concentration of Bio-assay is beyond the permissible limit as prescribed by the Board.
4. The STP outlet connects to 3 points, one leading to parks/ horticulture area within premises, one leading to agriculture land near to boundary of its backside gate and one leading to plantation area as per the Karnal Technology located on backside of the complex.
5. The HCF has installed a flow meter at the outlet of STP and is maintaining the record of the same.
6. The HCF has provided separate energy meter on STP and is maintaining the record of the same.
7. The HCF has provided new saplings in the plantation pockets near the backside gate and it has now maintained the plantation area.
8. The HCF has removed all the stagnated in the plantation area.
9. The ETP installed for treatment of liquid waste was found not in operation due to its repair and maintenance.
10. The hospital has installed another ETP with the laundry section and the same was found in operation. The representative of the HCF informed that the treated effluent is channelized to the STP. As per the record, the samples were collected from the outlet of ETP by the officers of the Board on 21.11.2025 and the analysis results are tabulated as below:
Sr. No. Parameters Units Results (Outlet of STP)
1 pH - 7.4
2 Total Suspended Solids mg/l 18
3 Total Dissolved Solids mg/l 530
4 Chemical Oxygen Demand mg/l 60
5 Bio- Chemical Oxygen Demand mg/l 16
6 Oil & Grease mg/l 9
7 Bio-Assay - 100% survival of fish in 100% effluent after 96 hours
From above, it is clear that the concentration of various parameters is within the permissible limit as prescribed by the Board.
11. The final storage area of Bio-Medical Waste was checked & found that the HCE has provided separate rooms for storing red, yellow & blue colour coded bags separately and has provided these rooms with door and lock & key arrangement.
12. The hospital has provided shredders/ cutters for shredding of used needles and same were found in working condition.
13. The hospital has maintained the record of Bio-Medical Waste Category wise, being lifted by the CBMWTF.
14. The HCF has installed 3 no. DG set 500 KVA capacities each, which are provided with canopies and stacks of adequate heights.
15. The HCF has lifted the solid waste lying in the premises. However, it has not provided any compost pits or mechanical composter for the treatment of solid waste generated. The representative was advised to provide mechanical composter for the treatment of solid waste.
It is pertinent to mention here that the HCF has not deposited the Environmental Compensation amounting to Rs. 1,99,44,000/- and Rs. 65,59,875/- imposed due to failure to comply with the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 & the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, till date.
The HCF is not complying with the provisions of the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) 1981, intentionally and deliberately.
It has now been proposed to refuse consents to operate applied by the HCF under the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 after affording an opportunity of show cause/ personal hearing.
As such, show cause for refusal of consent to operate applied under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 issued to the hospital vide Board's letter no. 8848-49 dated 27.03.2026 alongwith an opportunity to appear in person before the Chairperson of the Board in his office at Punjab Pollution Control Board, Vatavaran Bhawan, Nabha Road, Patiala on 10.04.2026 at 12:00 Noon.
During, hearing, the representative of the HCF submitted a written reply, which was taken on record. He informed that the hospital has now made compliance of provisions of all the environmental laws at the site and is operating its ETP and STP regularly and properly at site. He further informed that the hospital is complying with the provisions of Bio-medical Waste Rules, 2016 at the site meticulously. W.r.t. the EC imposed on the HCE, the representative submitted that due to financial constraints, they are unable to deposit the entire EC amount. However, he proposed that the HCE is ready to deposit the EC amount in 18 monthly instalments on Rs. 15.00 lacs each month to the Board.
After hearing the representative of the HCF and officers of the Board and considering the material aspects of the case, the Chairperson of the Board decided as under: -
1. The HCE shall deposit the entire EC amount imposed by the Board, in 18 equal monthly instalments in the Regional Office, Patiala, before 5th of every month, starting from April 2026.
2. The HCE be granted consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981, for short time period of 6 months, after depositing the first instalment of EC of the month of April 2026.
3. The HCE shall comply with the provisions of the environmental laws, at all times.
4. It was made clear to the representative of the HCE, that in case, the project is found violating the provisions of Environmental Laws in future, strict action shall be taken against the industry, without any opportunity of personal hearing.
Submitted for confirmation of above draft proceedings and for conveying to the concerned please. |
