| File Note: |
It is submitted that the institute was granted consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 vide no. CTOW/Fresh/PTA/2017/5124549 dated 18.03.2017 having validity upto 30.09.2017 subject to certain conditions as mentioned therein.
However, earlier as per the orders of the Competent Authority complaint u/s 15,16 read with section 5 & 19 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 for violation of the provisions of EIA notification dated 14/09/2006 had been filed in the Court of Sub-Divisional Magistrate, Rajpura by the Board against M/s Swami Vivekanand Group of Institutions, Village Ramnagar, Rajpura Chandigarh Road, Tehsil Rajpura, District - Patiala. Lastly, the case was hearing on 07.03.2018 and the next date of hearing has been fixed on 22.03.2018 for evidence.
Now, the institution has applied for renewal of 'consent to operate' under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 only along with requisite documents i.e. application form, CA certificate, Analysis report, copy of EC issued by SEIAA, compliance report of consent conditions earlier granted to it under the Water Act, 1974 etc. The institute has deposited Rs. 70,000/- vide UTR/Reference No. P18020814880130 dated 08.02.2018 linked with online application Id 7074679 and Rs. 35000/- vide UTR/Reference No. SAA329614052 dated 01.02.2018 as water consent fee under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. The consent fee deposited by the institute is adequate upto 30.09.2019 against the fixed assets of Rs. 6077.94 lakh as per CA certificate dated 06.07.2017 submitted by the institute. The institute has also deposited Rs. 4500/- as NOC regularization fee for enhanced value of fixed assets.
It is pertinent to mention here that earlier the institute was given personal hearing by the Worthy Chairman of the Board on 06.09.2016 and one of the decision was as wherein, it was decided as under:
i) The bank guarantee of Rs. 10 lacs deposited by the institute be returned to it. The institute shall in-turn deposit this amount of Rs. 10 lacs with the Board immediately against the fees to be deposited for consent to operate under water act.
ii) Environmental Engineer, Regional Office, Patiala shall thereafter visit the institute to verify various compliances and shall accordingly process the consent application under water act on merits.
iii) The institute shall apply for consent to operate under air act alongwith requisite fee within one year as committed by it during the hearing.
In compliance to hearing decision no. ii), the institute had applied for consent to operate only under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and subsequently the consent was granted to the institute, which was valid upto 30.09.2017.
Now, the institute has requested for grant of consent to operate under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 only and w.r.t. consent to operate under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the institute has submitted as under:
"It is brought to your kind notice that recently our institution suffered a huge financial loss in an incident of theft which took place on 13.11.2017. After breaking the locks, the thieves took away a cash amount of Rs. 56,00,000/- which was lying in the safe of the accounts department of this institution. The matter is under investigation of the police. However, nothing could be got recovered by the police, till date. Due to paucity of funds on account of theft in our institution, at this stage, we are not in a position to pay the fee required to be deposited for moving application for consent to operate under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
Keeping in view the above, you are requested to allow us the extension of at least one-year time for moving application for consent to operate under Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 along with requisite documents."
The institute was visited by the undersigned on 09.03.2018 and contacted Sh. Vishal Garg, Director planning of the institute at site. During visit, it was observed as under: -
1. The institute as well as STP was in operation.
2. The institute is utilizing its treated waste water onto land for plantation/gardening purpose after its treatment through STP in an area of about 5 acres (approx.) developed by the institute within its premises.
3. The institute is having 02 no. submersible pumps out of which one is kept as standby & second is equipped with water flow meter. The institute is maintaining the record of ground water abstraction.
4. The samples of the treated domestic effluent were collected by this office on 09.10.2017 and same were sent to Head office, lab for analysis of various parameters. The analysis results received from Head office lab reveals that the concentration of various parameters as prescribed by the Board for such types of discharges, is within the permissible limit. The details of the samples are mentioned in the agenda note column C (viii).
5. The institute is complying with the consent conditions earlier granted to it under the Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974.
In view of the above, if approved, it is recommended the case may be sent to Senior Environmental Engineer, Zonal Office-I, Patiala with the recommendation that :
i) The consent to operate under the provisions of Water (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 may be granted to the institute up to 31.03.2019 with usual conditions as per the policy of the Board.
ii) The institute be directed to apply for consent to operate under the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 along with requisite documents and fee as committed by it during hearing held on 06.09.2016 before the Worthy Chairman of the Board.
Detailed agenda note is attached.
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