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.
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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.