Latest news with #Air(PreventionandControlofPollution)Act
Business Upturn
2 days ago
- Business
- Business Upturn
Sarda Energy & Minerals receives green nod for coal washery expansion to 1.8 MTPA
By Aditya Bhagchandani Published on June 2, 2025, 18:05 IST Sarda Energy & Minerals Limited has received official approval from the Chhattisgarh Environment Conservation Board to expand its coal washery operations in Raigarh, Chhattisgarh. The consent, granted under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, allows the company to increase its coal washery capacity from 0.96 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 1.8 MTPA. The development marks a significant milestone in the company's ongoing efforts to scale its operations and enhance capacity. The expansion aligns with Sarda Energy's broader strategic goals in resource processing and infrastructure. The company disclosed this update to the exchanges on June 2, 2025, in compliance with Regulation 30 of SEBI (Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2015. Aditya Bhagchandani serves as the Senior Editor and Writer at Business Upturn, where he leads coverage across the Business, Finance, Corporate, and Stock Market segments. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to journalistic integrity, he not only contributes insightful articles but also oversees editorial direction for the reporting team.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Over 40 Noida societies lack pollution board nod to operate STPs
NOIDA : An RTI reply has revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their sewage treatment plants (STPs). CTO is a mandatory authorisation issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board ( UPPCB ) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It permits industries, commercial establishments, and group housing societies to operate their facilities while ensuring that their emissions, effluents, and waste management systems comply with environmental standards. Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, had filed an RTI application on April 29 asking the pollution control board for the list of societies without CTOs, the action taken against them, fines imposed and recovered, and the names of those societies against which cases were filed in the Special Pollution Court in Lucknow. In its reply dated May 20, UPPCB stated that 43 group housing societies did not obtain the required CTO for their STPs. The list included prominent names such as Lotus Boulevard, Supertech Capetown, Sikka Karmic, Logix Blossom County, Antriksh Golf View, Ajnara Grand Heritage, Prateek Wisteria, NRI City Homes, and Logix Blossom Zest, among others. As per the reply, prosecution proceedings have been initiated against 34 of the identified societies. Of these, environmental compensation amounting to Rs 27 crore has been imposed on 30. Notices were sent to the rest. However, the board stated it had no data in its records on how much of the fines were actually recovered. The current status of these cases in the special court was not available with the office. Lack of CTOs does not necessarily mean that societies do not have functional STPs. On the other hand, in some cases, it may also indicate that societies never had STPs to begin with. Additionally, many of them lack Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), pointing to a major procedural failure. For example, Gupta's society, Prateek Wisteria, does not have a CTO but has had a functional STP since 2019. "A large number of societies do not have CTOs to operate STPs, which suggests that occupancy and completion certificates were issued without the Authority verifying the status of STPs. Of these 43 societies, about 60%-70% are located in sectors 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. Many of them cannot even install STPs now due to lack of space within the premises and insufficient funds, as the builder has already handed over the project. The Authority should intervene and lay a separate sewage pipeline connecting these societies to the nearest operational STP in Sector 50," Gupta told TOI. Pointing out the lack of coordination between the UPPCB and the Noida Authority, Gupta stated, "The Authority and the pollution control board are not working together on this issue. They conduct inspections separately and impose fines independently. Often, they are not even aware of each other's actions. Also, the responsibility of establishing STPs and obtaining CTOs lies with the builder, as per the law. It is not the responsibility of the AOA." Meanwhile, Noida Authority officials said they are monitoring societies flouting environmental norms. Noida CEO Lokesh M said, "OC/CCs are issued after checking whether societies have facilities such as STPs, fire safety, and lift clearances. It is more of an operational issue, as the societies fail to run these facilities properly after homebuyers start living there. The Authority takes action as public health is at stake. However, it is the pollution control board's primary responsibility to impose fines and take legal action. As far as the Authority is concerned, we will continue with our enforcement drive." In a recent drive, the Authority took action against eight societies that either lacked functional STPs or were discharging untreated sewage into open drains, bypassing norms that require treated water to be released into sewer lines. These included RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmic in Sector 78, Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100, Lotus Panache in Sector 110, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia in Sector 75, Prateek Stylome in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76. The drive also extended to Maharishi Ashram near Lotus Panache. The Authority wrote to the registrar of firms, societies, and chits in Meerut seeking cancellation of registration for both the Ashram and the Panache society. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed coercive action against RG Residency. Noida officials said that an environmental cell has been formed to verify whether STPs have been installed. The cell has been asked to compile data on STPs in all group housing societies. As per rules, all residential societies with a floor area of 20,000 sqm or more must have an STP. No new OC is currently being issued without verifying the CTO for the society's STP, officials added.
Time of India
3 days ago
- General
- Time of India
43 Noida condos lack pollution board nod to operate STPs
Noida: An RTI reply has revealed that 43 group housing societies in the city lack the mandatory consent to operate (CTO) for their sewage treatment plants (STPs). CTO is a mandatory authorisation issued by the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (UPPCB) under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. It permits industries, commercial establishments, and group housing societies to operate their facilities while ensuring that their emissions, effluents, and waste management systems comply with environmental standards. Amit Gupta, a resident of Prateek Wisteria in Sector 77, had filed an RTI application on April 29 asking the pollution control board for the list of societies without CTOs, the action taken against them, fines imposed and recovered, and the names of those societies against which cases were filed in the Special Pollution Court in Lucknow. In its reply dated May 20, UPPCB stated that 43 group housing societies did not obtain the required CTO for their STPs. The list included prominent names such as Lotus Boulevard, Supertech Capetown, Sikka Karmic, Logix Blossom County, Antriksh Golf View, Ajnara Grand Heritage, Prateek Wisteria, NRI City Homes, and Logix Blossom Zest, among others. As per the reply, prosecution proceedings have been initiated against 34 of the identified societies. Of these, environmental compensation amounting to Rs 27 crore has been imposed on 30. Notices were sent to the rest. However, the board stated it had no data in its records on how much of the fines were actually recovered. The current status of these cases in the special court was not available with the office. Lack of CTOs does not necessarily mean that societies do not have functional STPs. On the other hand, in some cases, it may also indicate that societies never had STPs to begin with. Additionally, many of them lack Occupancy Certificates (OC) and Completion Certificates (CC), pointing to a major procedural failure. For example, Gupta's society, Prateek Wisteria, does not have a CTO but has had a functional STP since 2019. "A large number of societies do not have CTOs to operate STPs, which suggests that occupancy and completion certificates were issued without the Authority verifying the status of STPs. Of these 43 societies, about 60%-70% are located in sectors 74, 75, 76, 77, and 78. Many of them cannot even install STPs now due to lack of space within the premises and insufficient funds, as the builder has already handed over the project. The Authority should intervene and lay a separate sewage pipeline connecting these societies to the nearest operational STP in Sector 50," Gupta told TOI. Pointing out the lack of coordination between the UPPCB and the Noida Authority, Gupta stated, "The Authority and the pollution control board are not working together on this issue. They conduct inspections separately and impose fines independently. Often, they are not even aware of each other's actions. Also, the responsibility of establishing STPs and obtaining CTOs lies with the builder, as per the law. It is not the responsibility of the AOA. " Meanwhile, Noida Authority officials said they are monitoring societies flouting environmental norms. Noida CEO Lokesh M said, "OC/CCs are issued after checking whether societies have facilities such as STPs, fire safety, and lift clearances. It is more of an operational issue, as the societies fail to run these facilities properly after homebuyers start living there. The Authority takes action as public health is at stake. However, it is the pollution control board's primary responsibility to impose fines and take legal action. As far as the Authority is concerned, we will continue with our enforcement drive." In a recent drive, the Authority took action against eight societies that either lacked functional STPs or were discharging untreated sewage into open drains, bypassing norms that require treated water to be released into sewer lines. These included RG Residency in Sector 120, Sikka Karmic in Sector 78, Lotus Boulevard in Sector 100, Lotus Panache in Sector 110, Purvanchal Royal Park in Sector 137, Aims Max Gardenia in Sector 75, Prateek Stylome in Sector 45, and Amrapali Silicon City in Sector 76. The drive also extended to Maharishi Ashram near Lotus Panache. The Authority wrote to the registrar of firms, societies, and chits in Meerut seeking cancellation of registration for both the Ashram and the Panache society. However, the Allahabad High Court stayed coercive action against RG Residency. Noida officials said that an environmental cell has been formed to verify whether STPs have been installed. The cell has been asked to compile data on STPs in all group housing societies. As per rules, all residential societies with a floor area of 20,000 sqm or more must have an STP. No new OC is currently being issued without verifying the CTO for the society's STP, officials added.
Time of India
27-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
PCB shuts down lead recycling unit for violating pollution norms
Hyderabad: The Telangana Pollution Control Board has ordered the immediate closure of Jitin Enterprises, a lead battery recycling facility at Nandigama in Kothur mandal in Rangareddy district, following multiple breaches of environmental regulations under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act. A recent inspection by TGPCB officials found that the facility had illegally installed and operated two additional rotary furnaces without obtaining the mandatory consent for establishment or consent for operation. Although Jitin Enterprises holds a valid consent for operation until May 31, 2025, for producing 672 kg/day of lead ingots, the unit was found circumventing critical pollution control protocols, undermining both regulatory compliance and environmental safety. Negligent practices The board's report detailed severe lapses in the handling of hazardous lead waste. The unit failed to register with or send waste to a treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF), as required. Instead, lead slag was stored openly, causing spillage into nearby agricultural land, posing risks to soil, water, and food safety. Other violations included lack of records on hazardous waste generation, storage, and disposal, absence of energy meters on pollution control equipment, failure to install emission stacks for rotary furnaces, non-submission of environmental statements for three consecutive financial years, no evidence of green belt development, environmental monitoring, or water usage tracking and omission of mandatory health check-up reports for workers, due every six months. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like O novo dispositivo que os idosos usam para ajudar na neuropatia (dor nos nervos) A arte do herbalismo Undo Task force steps in After reviewing the violations in a recent task force committee meeting, where company representatives were also heard, the board determined that the continued operation of the unit posed a serious threat to public health and the environment. Acting under section 31(A) of the Air Act, the TGPCB issued a 'stop production order,' warning that any attempt to continue operations would invite legal action, including prosecution. The board also directed regional environmental officers to enforce strict compliance with the closure order and monitor the site to prevent further environmental damage.
Time of India
16-05-2025
- Time of India
East Khasi Hills prohibits release of sewage into rivers in Shillong
Shillong: The East Khasi Hills district administration has prohibited the release of sewage and other wastes into rivers flowing through and around the hill city with immediate effect to check further pollution of these once-pristine water bodies. In an order issued on May 13, district magistrate RM Kurbah said it has been brought to her notice that according to the latest analysis report conducted by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board on Umkhrah and Umshyrpi rivers, it was revealed that there is no significant improvement in water quality, particularly at Umshyrpi near Law College, Umshyrpi at Umshyrpi Bridge, Umkhrah river at Demthring, Umkhrah at Umkaliar, Umkhrah near slaughter house (Mawlai Phudmuri) and Umkhrah at Mawpdang Mawlai. Kurbah said due to increase in parameters like biological oxygen demand & fecal coliform, unauthorised discharge of domestic sewage from septic tanks into the water bodies and throwing or dumping of garbage on street or into water bodies have been polluting the rivers. So, in exercise of the power conferred upon her under Section 163 BNSS, the DM has prohibited the unauthorised discharge of untreated sewage or other wastes from septic tanks, houses, automobile workshops, commercial establishments, etc. and throwing of garbage on street or water bodies at the above mentioned places. "Any violation to this order shall invite prosecution under Section 223 of the BNS and legal action as per the relevant Sections of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, I981," the DM said.
