Summary:
Such rain water harvesting/recharging system will act as ‘by-pass’ in the industries,” the letter has noted.The PPCB officials have been asked that no red category ‘trade effluent industry’ should be allowed to provide the rain water harvesting system.Inquiries from PPCB revealed that distilleries, sugar mills , electro-plating units, leather industry, dying units were some of the prominent effluent generating industries. “The recent spillage of Chadha Sugar Mill and condition of the Satluj have raised the apprehensions that that when PPCB is tightening noose around the industrial units latter can indulge in by-passing their effluent treatment plants,” said a senior PPCB official.When asked, PPCB chairman Kahn Singh Pannu said the board had already written to CGWA urging to remove the pre-condition for effluent generating units. It asks to furnish report on comprehensive and feasible rainwater harvesting/recharge proposal. It is apprehended that such system can easily be used for discharge of treated or untreated trade effluent by the erring or defaulting industries that will be very difficult for the board to detect or prevent. “There can be very serious consequences even if only a few units misuse the rainwater harvesting or recharging system to discharge their treated or untreated effluents,” he said.CGWA mandates rechargingThe format of application for getting NOC from the CGWA to abstract ground water for industrial use mandates attachment of a detailed plan rainwater harvesting and artificial recharge in the area..