NGT junks plaint as panel finds sugar mills adhering to norms

Nitish Sharma

Kurukshetra, February 2

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has disposed of a complaint against Shahabad Cooperative Sugar Mills, after a joint committee constituted to check the alleged violation of environmental norms submitted that no violation was found during the inspection.

Units use bagasse as fuel in boilers

• During the inspection, it was found that the units had installed boilers having steam generation and the same were equipped with air pollution control devices.
• The units were using bagasse as fuel in the boilers. The units had also provided the online continuous emission monitoring system (OCEMS) on the stack emission and the data of the same was continuously displayed on the servers of the HSPCB as well as the CPCB.
• The ash generated from the boilers was being disposed of by the units. The samples of stack emissions were collected and as per the analysis report, the parameters were found to be within prescribed limits. No discharge of effluent without treatment was found and also no reverse pumping was found.

Last year, the sarpanch of Yari village of Shahabad, Gurdeep Singh, approached the NGT complaining that the sugar mills and the Ethanol Plant of the mills were not maintaining environmental norms. The units were emitting smoke and producing black fly ash posing serious health hazards to the local people. The units are also discharging industrial effluents without proper treatment, in open land, causing contamination of groundwater and the contaminated water was used by villagers for drinking purposes.

Following the complaint, a joint committee was constituted comprising of the State Pollution Control Board and District Magistrate, Kurukshetra.

During the inspection, it was found that the units had installed boilers having steam generation and the same were equipped with air pollution control devices. The units were using bagasse as fuel in the boilers. The units had also provided the online continuous emission monitoring system (OCEMS) on the stack emission and the data of the same were continuously displayed on the servers of the HSPCB as well as the CPCB.

The ash generated from the boilers were being disposed of by the units. The samples of stack emissions were collected and as per the analysis report, the parameters were found to be within prescribed limits. No discharge of effluent without treatment was found and also no reverse pumping was found.

The ethanol unit had provided adequate capacity for the effluent treatment plant and treated effluent was being re-used after treatment.

Besides these, the Chief Medical Officer, Kurukshetra, was also asked to analyse whether there was spread of any disease in the nearby villages due to the operation of the said units. The CMO submitted that there was no direct or indirect evidence of any specific disease in the nearby villages.

As per the report, the sugar mills was earlier inspected in 2022 and during the inspection, certain deficiencies were found. A show-cause notice for the closure and revocation of consent to operate was issued to the unit. Thereafter, the unit submitted a compliance report and the unit was found complying. The case of imposition of environmental compensation on the sugar mills is under process.

The NGT while disposing of the matter mentioned that the status reports had been considered and the compliance report on behalf of the Regional Officer, HSPCB, Kurukshetra, had been filed which revealed that the two units were complying with all the norms. The report reflected that the joint committee had visited the unit and no violation was found by it in terms of the Water and Air Act.