Steel pickling units in Wazirpur Industrial Area, which were served closure order by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), have been granted an opportunity to abide by the Hazardous Waste Management Rules and ensure proper handling of spent acid, which was allegedly being diverted into effluent treatment plants meant to treat waste water.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), while refusing to set aside the closure order served to these units, ordered that the same would remain suspended, but only when the units undertake to comply with the Hazardous Waste Management Rules and other conditions set by the DPCC.
The DPCC has been asked to decide within a month any application put forth by these units for operation following all rules.
Several steel pickling units from the area had earlier moved the NGT challenging the closure order.
The DPCC had said the effluent treatment plants (ETPs) catering to each of the units were meant for treating waste water, i.e. rinse water only, and that diverting spent acid residue would harm its functioning. The pH level of the drains in the area was found to be acidic.
It also submitted that such practice of neutralisation and treatment of spent acid/ acid residue and pickling bath sludge in the ETPs and its consequent non-storage for disposal makes for a case of serious violation of HW Rules, 2008, as well as the Water Act, 1974, as both spent acid and pickling bath sludge are hazardous substances listed in Schedule I of the Hazardous Waste Rules. Also, these violations disentitled the units to operate the said units.
“…it can be clearly seen that the entire idea of handling and treating the spent acid/acid residue/ spent liquor/acid bath sludge- Hazardous waste in ETPs is not compatible with the scheme of running CETP in as much as it is firstly negation of the accountability viz. a viz. Hazardous waste spent acid/acid residue/spent liquor/acid bath sludge and secondly, the CETP is not designed and expected to handle watery sludge generated upon treatment of spent acid and discharged through the conduit pipeline taking effluent from ETPs to CETP,” the NGT noted.
Considering the Principle of Sustainable Development, the NGT ordered that the DPCC closure notice dated May 14, 2015, and consequent closure orders shall remain suspended subject to the units complying with the terms and conditions as stipulated by the DPCC.
It, however, made it clear that the suspension of closure orders shall not come into effect till the appellants submit fresh application for consent under the HWM Rules with agreements, surety bond, undertaking and authorization fee.
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