| File Note: |
It is submitted that the industry was granted consents to operate under the Water Act, 1974 vide no. R-403 dt. 20/5/2009 and under the Air Act, vide no. R-376 dt. 20/05/2009, both valid up to 30/06/2018, for manufacture of media kraft paper @ 5 TPD while using waste paper @ 6 TPD and chemicals @ 120 kg/day as raw material, subject to certain conditions mentioned therein.
The industry was given personal hearing under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 before the Member Secretary of the Board on 10.11.2014 due to violation observed during visit on 12.09.2014. After hearing, it was decided as under:
1. The industry shall regularly operate the effluent treatment plant and shall re-circulate its entire treated waste water back in the process.
2. The industry shall develop proper plantation area as per Karnal Technology and excess treated waste water shall be discharged onto land for plantation purposes.
3. The industry shall submit a comprehensive bank guarantee amounting to Rs. 1,00,000/- (valid for 1 year) as an assurance to comply with provisions of pollution control laws, within one week.
4. Sr. Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala shall visit the industry to verify its contentions, collect fresh trade effluent samples and get the same analyzed from the Board's Lab as well as SAI Lab. The analysis charges shall be paid by the industry.
5. Sr. Scientific Officer, Punjab Pollution Control Board, Head Office, Patiala may be asked to comment upon the analysis results of the trade effluent sample collected by the Board officers on 12/09/2014.
In compliance to the decision no. 4 of hearing, the industry was visited by Sr. Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office –II, Patiala of the Board on 13.11.2014 and it was observed that :
1. The industry has enhanced its production capacity at about 15 T/day, as it was engaged in the manufacturing of Kraft paper/Kraft Board from waste paper/waste corrugated boxes @ 10-12MT/day.
2. The industry has installed ETP consisting of equalization tank-Hill Screen-Primary clarifier- secondary clarifier-Sludge drying beds. However, the ETP is required to be upgraded as no aeration system has been provided.
3. The industry has not installed water meter on the source of water supply (tubewell).
4. Some part of the plantation area developed by the industry for utilizing treated waste water was found dry as no effluent was being discharged into plantation area.
5. As per the record maintained by the industry, it has discharged 7 kl/day to 12 Kl/day of trade effluent into plantation area during the last 3 months and the average production works out to be 10-12 MT/day (max. production =14.2 MT/day) during the period of last 3 months.
6. The industry is required to obtain varied consents as the production varies from 10-12 MT/day.
The above mentioned shortcomings were conveyed to the industry vide letter no. 4287 dated 21.11.2014 and the industry was requested to act on the following:
(i) to apply for varied consents of the Board under Water Act, 1974 & Air Act, 1981 for its expanded capacity @ of 15 T/day within 7 days.
(ii) to get the existing ETP upgraded by adding chemical dosing and aeration system after having design from the consultant of repute, within a period of one month.
(iii) to develop /upgrade the plantation area by providing proper depth of furrows as per Karnal technology.
(iv) to improve housekeeping and to clean the vacant area around the plantation area, so as to avoid spreading of plastic waste or any other waste into plantation area.
(v) to install water meter at source of water supply (tubewell).
(vi) to maintain proper record of energy meters provided for ETP, recirculation water and water discharged after treatment into plantation area on daily basis.
(vii) to maintain proper record of raw material and production on daily basis.
(viii) to submit comprehensive Bank Guarantee of Rs.1 Lac incompliance to the decision of hearing dated 10.11.2014.
The industry has submitted Bank Guarantee amounting to Rs. 1,00,000/- bearing no. 05480000214 dated 23/12/2014 valid up to 26/02/2017 as an assurance to comply with the provisions of Pollution Control Laws.
The industry was again visited by the Officer of the Board on 02.01.2015 and it was observed that the industry has failed to comply with the decisions of the personal hearing given to it on 10.11.2014 as well as observations conveyed to it vide letter no.4287 dated 21.11.2014. The industry has carried out expansion in its unit without requisite NOC of the Board/SAC clearances by increasing its production from 5 TPD to 15 TPD.
In view of the above, the consent granted under the Water Act, 1974 was revoked vide letter no. 381 dt. 30.01.2015. Further directions u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974, were issued vide letter no 599 dated 18/02/2015 as under:
i) The industry shall operate its machinery at a capacity so as not to exceed its production capacity to manufacture Media Craft Paper beyond 5 T/day without prior written permission of the Board.
ii) The industry shall operate its pollution control devices properly and efficiently at its reduced production capacity so as to comply with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974.
iii) The industry shall apply for consents of the Board under both Acts for its reduced production capacity i.e. 5 T/day, immediately, which shall thereafter be processed by Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur as per merits.
iv) Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur shall seal plant and machinery of the industry immediately to restrict its production capacity upto 5 T/day only and submit report within two days.
Thereafter, the industry upgraded its ETP consisting of hill screen, primary clarifier, pumping tank, aerobic filter, aeration tank & secondary clarifier. Accordingly, the industry was granted fresh consents under the Water Act, 1981 vide no. R16SGRCTOW3266399 dated 11/02/2016 and under the Air Act, 1981 vide no. R16SGRCTOA3222892 dated. 15/02/2016, both valid upto 30/06/2018 with conditions mentioned therein the following additional conditions:
1. The industry shall not install any new submersible/energized pump for the abstraction of ground water without obtaining the approval from the Central Ground Water Authority and prior intimation to the Board.
2. The industry shall not manufacture Kraft Paper more than 5 TPD from waste paper @ 6 TPD & chemical @ 60 Kg/day.
3. The industry shall not discharge treated trade effluent more than 12 Kl/day at any time.
4. The industry shall install measuring device on the pipe discharging its treated trade effluent & maintain the record of the same.
5. The industry shall install flow meter on the pipe installed for reuse of effluent into process and maintain the record of same.
The industry was visited by AEE of this office on 11/04/2016 and treated trade effluent from the outlet of ETP was collected and as per the analysis report, the various parameters were found within the permissible limit as prescribed by the Board. One no. stack emission sample from the port hole of the stack attached to APCD of boiler furnace was also collected during the visit by AEE along with ASO on 02.06.2016 and as per analysis report the concentration of the Particulate Matter was found to be 277 mg/Nm3, which is within the permissible limit as prescribed by the Board.
The industry, vide its online application dated 18.06.2016 has applied for obtaining the varied consent to operate of the Board for the enhanced production capacity to manufacture kraft paper @ 15 TPD, however the same was returned with request to obtain SCA-cum-SAC clearance as well as NOC for expansion of the Board.
The industry vide its online application dated 15.07.2016 has again applied for the varied consents of the Board for enhanced manufacturing capacity of Semi Kraft/Media Kraft/Duplex Board @ 15 TPD. The industry has stated that the unit is already having production capacity of 15 TPD, however with installation of dryers to the main machine, speed of the machinery has increased, resulting in enhanced installed capacity @25 TPD. The industry has further stated that they had neither added any additional machinery nor original design of machine for process has been changed for product of 15 TPD capacity. The industry has already upgraded the existing ETP as per instructions given by the Board and the consumption of fresh water will remain the same for production of 15 TPD. The industry has submitted water balance sheet to verify the same. The industry has already deposited adequate fee upto 30.06.2018 under Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981.
The industry has submitted copy of letter no 755 dated 29/04/2016 issued by DTP, Sangrur stating that the site of industry is located in agricultural area, however, the industry has been adjusted as spot industrial zone as per notified master plan of Malerkotla. As such, the industry has contended that, it is not required to obtain SAC clearance as per policy of the Board dated 30.04.2013. In compliance to the decision no. 4 of the personal hearing before the Member Secretary of the Board on 06.02.2016 the industry has upgrade its ETP plant, which now consists of hill screen, primary clarifier (old), pumping tank, aerobic filter, aeration tank, secondary clarifier. The industry has also submitted water balance statement for the production capacity of 15 TPD, in which it is clear that the total effluent generated from the industry is 12 KLD after reuse of 150 KLD of treated effluent as process water from the total waste water generation @ 172 KLD.
To verify the contents of the application the industry was visited undersigned on 01.08.2016 and it was observed as under:
1. The industry was in operation at the time of visit.
2. The ETP installed by the industry was also in operation and treated waste water was being discharged onto land for plantation developed as per karnal technology.
3. The industry has installed flow measuring device on the pipe discharging its treated trade effluent & the record of the same was being maintained.
4. The industry has not installed any new submersible/energized pump for the abstraction of ground water.
5. The record of the industry was verified and found that industry is manufacturing Kraft Paper with an average production of 5 TPD by using waste paper @ 6 TPD & chemical @ 120 Kg/day as raw material.
6. The industry has installed flow meter on the pipe installed for reuse of effluent into process and maintains the record of same. It is clear from the record maintained by the industry that it has increased the quantity of recirculation water after upgradation of its ETP.
7. The industry has installed one no. boiler of capacity 3 TPH, which is equipped with twin cyclone as APCD, to control flue gas emissions arising due to burning of rice husk as fuel in FBC furnace.
8. The industry has provided sampling arrangement to facilitate the collection of air emission sample from the port hole of the stack of adequate height.
9. The industry is disposing off its fuel ash for land fill in low lying areas.
10. The industry has not installed any DG set inside its premises.
As such industry has not added any machinery to achieve the production capacity @ 15TPD, has not installed any addition tubewell/energy source for ground water abstraction and has upgraded its ETP as per feasibility report already submitted by industry. Further, the industry was already manufacturing Kraft paper @ 15TPD as observed by SEE during visit on 13/11/2014. This office is of the view that SAC clearance is not required in the case as the site of the industry has been adjusted for industrial use as per notified master plan of Malerkotla.
As such industry is complying with conditions of consents granted to it under the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 as well as directions issued u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974.
Therefore, if approved, the case may be sent to Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala with recommendation that varied consents to operate may be granted to the industry upto a period of one year with suitable conditions along with that the industry will not increase its production of Kraft paper beyond 15 TPD, without the approval of the Board and industry will not install new submersible pump / source of water abstraction without the prior approval of CGWA.
|
