Government of PunjabDepartment of Science, Technology, Environment

and Non-Conventional Energy

ORDER

Whereas, the Govt. of Punjab, Department of Science, Technology,

Environment and Non-Conventional Energy, Chandiqarh in pursuance of the

provisions of section 7 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rule 4 of the

Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 vide order no. 10/48/2004-STE-4/4061-77

dated 13/9/2006 had laid down siting guidelines including code of practice for setting

up of new rice shellers and saila plants in the State of Punjab.

2. And whereas, some residents of the State of Punjab have challenged

the improper storage and handlinq of rice husk by rice shelling units before the

Hon'ble Punjab & Haryana High Court by way of filing CWP No. 15853 of 2006 titled

as Gurrnukh Singh vIs .State of Punjab, CWP No. 2450 of 2007 titled as Puran Singh

vis Stale of Punjab and CWP No. 14933 of 2007 titled as Gurdip Singh and another

vIs State of Punjab. The said CWPs are pending for adjudication before Hon'ble

Punjab and Haryana Court. And the Hon'ble High Court has passed an interim order 011 I}.

15.11.2011 in the aforesaid CWPs as under: -

'6 XXX XXX XXX XXX XXX /xXX

On the basis of the aforesaid order in Para 8, the Pollution ~ntrol~rd

has stated that it has technically examined the matter with regard to all the

recommendations of the Central Pollution Control Board relating to guidelines for

handling & storage and transportation of rice husk/ash and as well as siting

guidelines for rice shelling units which have been attached in a tabular form. It has

further been stated in Para 9 that the recommendation made by the Central

Pollution Control Board relating to handling, storage and transportation of rice

husk/ash as mentioned in tabular form C were sustainable except the one which

deals with utilization exploring the possibility of ash utilization in rnaking bricks or

use in cement plants instead of disposal. It was also suggested by the Central

Pollution Control Board that the possibility of use of ash in icement plants, ,

controlled burning of rice husk in the boiler may be adopted through the use ofi

preferably fluidized bed boiler such that unburnt carbon in ash is below 8 per cent.

The aforesaid recommendation alone was the exception.

However, in the latest status filed by the Principal Secretary, further

time is sought for implementation of the guidelines issued by the Central

Pollution Control Board in respect of handlmq.i transportation, storage and

disposal of ash so necessarily this deals with the wet ash emerging from sailaI .

rice plants. The steps may be taken by the State of Punjab - respondent Nos.

1 & 2 for finally deciding the issue within a period of six weeks so that proper

mechanism is in place to control the pollution which is being caused by the

rice shellers/saila rice plants.

The status report be filed a week before the adjourned date.

List again on 18.01,2012.

/\ photocopy of this order be placed on the files of eachconnected case.';

(M.M. KUMAI~)JUDGE

15.1'1.2011(RAJIV NARAIN RAINA)

JUDGE

3. And whereas, in compliance to interim orders of the Hon'ble court during

the course of hearing of these writ petitions, the Central Pollution Control Board has

suggested guidelines for the management & handling of rice husk for dry rice

shelling units/rlce saila plants and management & handling of rice husk ash for rice

saila plants and a report in this regard was also filed in the Hon'ble Punjab &

Haryana High Court. Separately, the Central Pollution Control Board has also suqqested

stringent guidelines regarding management & handling of rice husk than the code of

practice as prescribed in order dated 13.09.2006, Accordingly, the Government of

Punjab, Deptt. of Science, Technology and Environment, had constituted an Expert

Group for reviewing of the siting guidelines for the rice shellers. The said Expert Group

had carried out a detailed study of dry rice shelling units with sun drying process and

recommended certain amendments in the siting criteria laid down by the Govt. of Punjab,

Deptt. of Science, Technoloqy & Environment, in respect of dry rice shelling units with sun

drying process,

4, Now therefore, in exercise of powers conferred u/s 5 of the Environment

(Protection) Act, 1986 read with Government of India, Ministry of Environment &

Forests, Department of Environment, Forests and Wildlife Notification No. S.O. 289

(E) dated 14thApril, 1988 and in pursuance of the provisions of section 7 of the said

Act and rule 4 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and in compliance of the

interim order dated 15.11.2011 of Hon'ble Punjab & Haryana High Court, the,

Governor of Punjab is pleased to issue the following amendments in respect of office

order no. 10/48/2004-STE (4)14077 dated 1319/2006: - I

a) The siting guidelines as given in para (A) in sub paras (i) to (v) 6f order dated

'13.09.2006 of the Govt. of Punjab, Deptt. of Science, Technoloqy &

Environment will be applicable only for setting up of new dry rice! shelling units

with mechanical dryer, steamed rice production units and rice saila plants and

para (A) sub para (vi). of the said order will be' applicable for JII type of riceI

shelling units including dry rice shelling units with sun drying process.

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b)"

Arter para (A) (vi), para A-1 is inserted as under:

A-1 Siting guidelines for setting up of new dry rice shelling units withsun drying process

i) In Focal Point and in designated industrial land use zones.or

ii) In Rural Zone of Master Plan (Statutory/Non-Statutory), rural zone of

Local Planning Area and in the agriculture land outside the rural zone

300 rn from urbanizable limits of Master Plan and 2 Kms from Local

Body limits where the master plan are yet to be prepared.

iii) 300 m away from tile Bye-pass, National Highway, State Highway and

Scheduled Road.

(point No.(i) to (iii) to be certified by D.T.P.}

iv) 300 m awpy from tile village lal dora / phirni, wild life sanctuary, zoo,

residential area, educational institutions, historical/reliqious places and

protected monuments.

"The residential area means the area under a scheme notified by Punjab

Urban 'Planninq and Development Authority (Punjab Urban

Development Authority), Municipal Corporation, Municipal Council,

Improvement Trust or any other authority/agency in the State.

(Point No. (iv) to be certified by Revenue Authority)

(v) Punjab Pollution Control Board will ask for certificate from tile District

Town Planner/Revenue authorities who will submit the same within 15

days, failing which Board will be at liberty to issue NOC and the rice

millers will not have to approach the concerned authorities for obtaining

the requisite certificate. The requisite fee to be charged by the Town and

Country Planning Department will be deposited by the industry through

a separate Bank Draft alonqwlth NOC fee with the Punjab Pollution

Control Board. The Board will forward the same to the DTP with a

request to send the required certificate within 15 days, failing which the,

Board will be at liberty to issue NOC to the applicant industry.I

c) Sub para (iii) of para C of order dated 13.09.2006 is, hereby, omitted.

d) Under para C of order dated 13.09.2006, sub paras (vii) and' (viii) be inserted

as under: -

(vii) The management and handling of rice husk in the rice shelling units /

saila plants should be done as under:

a) All the rice shelling units / saila plants shall provide paved /brick

roads inside their premises for movement of ve'ricles, so as to

prevent the dust generation of dust.

4:.

b) The industry shall provide a closed room type enclosure of minimum

height 10ft. or more for storage of rice husk. This room type

enclosure shall be closed from all sides and have an access door for

loading / handling of rice husk. A vent above the roof level shall be

provided in this enclosure, which will be connected to the air pollution

control device. No activity regarding loading / t1andling of rice husk

shall be carried out outside the said enclosure.

c) During transportation of rice husk through vehicles, it shall be

covered from all sides with tarpaulin to prevent blowing of husk by

winds.

d) The feeding of rice husk in the boiler furnace is required to be

regulated with automatic regulating system and no manual feeding of

rice husk, in the boiler furnace, shall be done.

e) In case, the rice shelling units have provided belt / chain conveyors

for conveying rice husk from de-husking section to storage and from

storage to boiler section, then, it should be covered from all sides to

prevent wind blowing of rice husk by winds. In case, any other mode

for conveyance of rice husk from de-husking section to storage and

from storage to boiler section has been adopted, then it should be .

environmentally sound.

(viii) Guidelines for Handling, Transportation, Storage and Disposal of

Ash from Husk Fired Boiler: The management and handling of rice

husk ash in the rice shelling units / saila plants should be done as

under:-

a) The ash collected from APeD from husk fired boiler shall be

temporarily stored in a shed / chamber closed from at least three

sides and a roof, with access only from the front side for purpose of

removal of ash.

b) During loading / unloading of ash, water shall be sprinkled

periodically to keep the ash heap in wet condition so that the lop

layer remains wet at all times further so that ash particles are not

blown by winds.

c) All the conveyors / vehicles conveying ash within or outside the plant

premises shall be covered from all sides to prevent blowing of ash

particles by winds.

d) The boiler ash shall be disposed in such a way that secondary

emissions of the ash do not occur due to wind blowing effect. The

L:f

Note: 'I.

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following disposal practices shall be followed:

For units disposing ash outside their own premises:

The rice mills disposing their boiler ash outside their premises

through contractors shall ensure that the ash has been disposed

at a designated landfill site facility as approved by Punjab

Pollution Control Board.

For units disposing ash within their own premises:

a) The units disposing ash at the ground level should cover the ash

with soil and periodically sprinkle water on the disposed ash so as

to keep it in wet condition at all times. Piling up of another batch of

ash over the earlier disposed ash may be done, but the ash heap

should be covered each time by soil and kept wet by sprinkling of

water. A vvind breaking wall of a height equal to the heiqht of the

ash heap shall be erected around the ash disposal site, leaving an

opening for access road.

The industry may develop underqround ditch for disposal of boilerb)ash within plant premises in an environmentally sound manner.

The siting criteria as laid down in para A-I (ii) is to be implemented inconjunction with criteria as laid down in sub paras (iii) and (iv) of paraA-I.

2. The existing rice shelling units/saila plants shall comply with thoaforesaid amendments of the code of practice, within six months,from the date of notification.

3. The clarification given by the Government of Punjab, Deptt. ofScience, Technology 8, Environment vide Memo No. 10 / 48 / 04 /STE (4) / 2675 dated 26.06.2009 regarding Order dated 13.09.200~)will remain operative.

The amendment made by the Government of Punjab, Deptt. ofScience, Technology & Environment vide Order dated 07.06.20'10regarding para (vi) of the Order dated 13'.09.2006 will also remainoperative.

4.

Dated, Chandigarh,tile 19.12.2011 Viswajeet Khanna

Principal Secretary to Govt. of Punjab,Department of Science, Technology &Environment, and Non-conventional Energy

Endst. No.1 0/4S/2003-STE(4)/ ~ 5 47

action:

Dated, Chandiqarh, the J~1i'-·/l8:{,oU.A copy is forwarded to the following for intorrnation and necessary

1. Principal Secretary to Chief Minister, Punjab for the kind informationof Hon'ble Chief Minister, Punjab.