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It is submitted that the subject cited industry was given personal hearing u/s 25 & u/s 33-A of the Water Act, 1974 by Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-II, Patiala (on behalf of Member Secretary) on 01.04.2015, wherein, it was decided as under:
1. The industry shall take following steps:
a) shall stop operation of the plant immediately and ensure that neither any untreated waste water is discharged nor stagnation is caused due to discharge of waste water generated from the process..
b) shall complete installation/up-gradation of ETP before restart of the unit and shall ensure that the treated waste water conforms to the prescribed effluent standards fixed by the Board, all the times.
c) shall develop adequate plantation area and shall provide proper furrows and ridges as per Karnal Technology, so as to consume/utilize the entire treated waste water.
2. Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Sangrur shall visit the industry to verify its contentions, collect trade effluent as well as emission samples, shall process consent applications submitted by the industry and submit his detailed report with recommendations, after 7 days.
3. Further action will be taken on receipt of report from the Regional Office.
The proceedings of the hearing were conveyed to the industry vide Board's letter no. 1271 dated 10.04.2015 for compliance of the hearing decisions. After that, the validity of the consent to operate granted to the industry under the Water Act, 1974 vide no. ZO-II/SGR/WPC/2007/V-160 dated 06/12/2007 and under the Air Act, 1981 vide no. ZO-II/SGR/APC/2007-08/V-155 dated 06/12/2007, was extended upto 30.06.2016 for production of Rice Bran Oil @ 25 TPD & De-Oiled Cake @ 171 TPD by using Rice Bran @ 200 TPD & Hexane @ 800 ltr per day with following specific conditions.
a) The industry shall get its revised building plan approved from the competent authority and submit the same to this office within two months.
b) The industry shall inform the Board as and when it re-starts its operation.
c) The industry shall get its effluent samples tested from Board's Lab within one month after re-commissioning its unit, so that the performance of the ETP can be monitored by the Board.
d) The industry shall maintain records of the meter installed at the outlet of the ETP regarding discharge of treated effluent.
Thereafter, the industry had applied for renewal of consents to operate the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981 but, the applications of the industry were returned by this office at scrutiny level due to some incompletion / observations. Later on, the industry was visited by AEE of this office along with ASO on 07.12.2016 and trade effluent as well as stack emission samples were collected. The analysis results of the trade effluent sample revealed that the concentration of pH & BOD was found as 5.1 & 132 mg/l respectively, which is beyond the permissible limits as prescribed by the Board, indicating the effluent treatment facility installed by the industry was not adequate, whereas, the analysis results of stack emission samples revealed that the concentration of particulate matter was within permissible limits as prescribed by the Board.
Now, the industry has resubmitted the applications for obtaining renewal of the consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. The industry had already deposited Rs. 51,000/- V.R. No. 36/4033 dated 27/03/2015 & Rs. 12,000/- V.R. No. 76/3726 dated 23/10/2015 under Water Act, 1974 and Rs. 51,000/- V.R. No. 35/4033 dated 27/03/2015 & Rs. 12,000/- V.R. No. 75/3726 dated 23/10/2015 under Air Act, 1981 as consent fee against the fixed assets of Rs. 472.90 lacs, which is adequate upto 30/06/2020.
The industry was visited by Environmental Engineer & Assistant Environmental Engineer of this office on 21/02/2017 and Sh. Raghubir Bakshi (Manager) was contacted at site. During visit it was observed as under:-
1. The industry was in operation.
2. The industry has provided underground effluent treatment facility for treatment of waste water arising from the process, which was covered from the top, as such the components of the treatment facility were not visible. More so, the treatment facility installed by the industry does not seem in consonance with feasibility report submitted from M/s Alliance Consultants, Patiala by the industry. The trade effluent after passing through the treatment facility, was being discharged in plantation area. Moreover, the operator attending the treatment facility, failed to explain about its operation. The industry has not submitted dimensional drawing/completion drawing of treatment facility from the consultant.
3. The industry has failed to maintain proper records of the water meter installed at outlet of treatment facility.
4. No furrows and ridges have been provided by the industry in plantation area. Lot of stagnation was also observed in the plantation area during visit. The representative informed that the plantation area is taken on lease, but failed to show any documentary proof for the same.
5. The industry has provided one boiler of 4.0 TPH capacity fitted with FBC furnace and equipped with trima cyclone as APCD and another standby boiler of 3.0 TPH capacity fitted with FBC furnace and equipped with cyclone as APCD. Rice husk is used as fuel in both boiler furnaces.
6. The industry has not provided energy meter to ensure regular operation of APCD.
7. The industry has two no. D.G sets of capacity 380 KVA & 300 KVA equipped with canopy and adequate stack height.
8. The representative of the industry informed that the fuel ash was being disposed off in low lying areas, but he failed to submit any documentary proof.
9. In regard to observation raised to the online application of the industry, the industry has submitted the building plan document approved from the competent authority, but the same can not be verified as it is not clearly visible.
10. The industry has mentioned in its application that the quantity of trade effluent as 5.0 KLD, whereas, as per previous consents granted by the Board, no trade effluent would be discharged by the industry. The industry has failed to reply the observation raised to the online application of the industry.
Thus, the industry has failed to comply with the provisions of the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. In view of above, it is recommended as under
a) The consent to operate under the Water Act, 1974 may be refused due to above said reasons.
b) The consent to operate under the Air Act, 1981 may be extended for one year with suitable condition and specific condition as under:
i) The industry will provide energy meter with APCD and will maintain records to ensure its regular operation.
ii) The industry will provide proper arrangements for disposal of fuel ash and will maintain the records, so that no air pollution is caused due to disposal of fuel ash.
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