Rules relating to Noise Pollution notified under Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986:

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS

NOTIFICATION

New Delhi, the 22^nd December, 1998

G.S.R.7. — In exercise of the powers conferred by sections 6 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1985 (29 of 1986), the Central Government hereby makes the following rules further to amend the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, namely:-

1. (1) These rules may be called the Environment (Protection) (Second Amendment) Rules, 1998.

(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.

2. In the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 —

(a)   In rule 3, for sub-rule (3B), the following sub-rule shall be substituted, namely:-

“3B) The combined effect of emission or discharge of environmental pollutants in an area, from industries, operations, processes, automobiles and domestic sources, shall not be permitted to exceed the relevant concentration in ambient air as specified against each pollutant in columns (3) to (5) of Schedule VII”;

(b)   In Schedule 1, —

(i) Against serial number 74 relating to emission standards for brick kilns, for the existing Para III, the following shall be substituted, namely: -

“III Existing moving chimney bull’s trench kilns shall be dispensed with by June 30, 1999 and no new moving chimney kilns shall be allowed to come up”;

(ii) After serial number 80 and the entries thereto, the following serial numbers and entries shall be inserted, namely: -

“81. Battery manufacturing industry

(i) Lead Acid Battery Manufacturing Industries: Emission Standards.

·        To comply with the respective standards, all the emissions from above mentioned sources shall be routed through stack connected with hood and fan in addition to above, installation of control equipment viz. Bag filter/ventury scrubber, is also recommended.

·        The minimum stack hight shall be 30 m.

(ii) Dry Cell Manufacturing Industry: Emission Standards

·        To comply with the respective standards, all the emissions from above-mentioned sources shall be routed through stack connected with hood and fan. In addition to above, installation of control equipment viz. bag filter/ventury scrubber, is also recommended.

The minimum stack height shall be 30 m.

Effluent Standards

 (iii) Secondary Lead Smelters

82. Environmental Standards for Gas/Naphtha-based Thermal Power Plants

(i)                 Limit for emission of Nox

(a)  For existing units —150 ppm (v/v) at 15% excess oxygen.

(b)  For new units with effect from 1-6-1999.

(ii)               Stack height H in m should be calculated using the formula H=14 Q^2.3 where Q is the emission rate SO₂ in kg/hr, subject to a minimum of 30 mts.

(iii)             Liquid waste discharge limit

83. Standards/Guidelines for control of Noise Pollution from Stationary Diesel Generator (DG) Sets

(A) Noise Standards for DG sets (15-500 KVA)

The total sound power level, Lw, of a DG set should be less than, 94+10 log₁₀  (KVA), dB(A), at the manufacturing stage, where, KVA is the nominal power rating of a DG set.

This level should fall by 5 dB(A) every five years, till 2007, i.e. in 2002 and then in 2007.

(B) Mandatory acoustic enclosure/acoustic treatment of room for stationary DG sets (5 KVA and above)

Noise from the DG set should be controlled by providing an acoustic enclosure or by treating the room acoustically

The acoustic enclosure/acoustic treatment of the room should be designed for minimum 25 dB(A) Insertion Loss or for meeting the ambient noise standards, whichever is on the higher side (if the actual ambient noise is on the higher side, it may not be possible to check the performance of the acoustic enclosure/acoustic treatment. Under such circumstances the performance may be checked for noise reduction upto actual ambient noise level, preferably, in the night time). The measurement for Insertion Loss may be done at different points at 0.5m from the acoustic enclosure/room, and then averaged.

The DG set should also be provided with proper exhaust muffler with insertion loss of minimum 25 dB(A)

(C) Guidelines for the manufacturers/users of DG sets (5 KVA and above)

01 The manufacturer should offer to the user a standard acoustic enclosure of 25 dB(A) Insertion Loss and also a suitable exhaust muffler, with Insertion Loss of 25 dB(A).

02 The user should make efforts to bring down the noise levels due to the DG set, outside his premises, within the ambient noise requirements by proper siting and control measures.

03 The manufacturer should furnish noise power levels of the unsilenced DG sets as per standards prescribed under (A).

04 The total sound power level of a DG set, at the user’s end, shall be within 2 dB(A) of the total sound power level of the DG set, at the manufacturing stage as prescribed under (A).

05 Installation of a DG set must be strictly in compliance with the recommendations of the DG set manufacturer.

06 A proper routine and preventive maintenance procedure for the DG set should be set and followed in consultation with the DG set manufacturer which would help prevent noise levels of the DG set from deferiorating with use.

84. Temperature Limit for Discharge of Condenser Cooling Water from Thermal Power Plant.

A:        New thermal power plants, which will be using water from rivers/lakes/reservoirs, shall install cooling towers irrespective of location and capacity. Thermal power plants which will use sea water for cooling purposes, the condition below will apply.

B:        New projects in coastal areas using sea water.

The thermal power plants using sea water should adopt suitable system to reduce water temperature at the final discharge point so that the resultant rise in the temperature of receiving water does not exceed 7°C over and above the ambient temperature of the receiving water bodies.

C:            Existing thermal power plants.

Rise in temperature of condenser cooling water from inlet to the outlet of condenser shall not be more than 10°C.

D:            Guidelines for discharge point:

The discharge point shall preferably be located at the bottom of the water body at mid-term for proper dispersion of thermal discharge.

In case of discharge of cooling water into sea, proper marine outfall shall be designed to achieve the prescribed standards. The point of discharge may be selected in consultation with concerned State Authorities/NIO.

No cooling water discharge shall be permitted in estuaries or near ecologically sensitive areas such as mangroves, coral reefs/spawning and breeding grounds of aquatic flora and fauna.

85. Environmental Standards for Coal Washeries :

A. Fugitive emission standards

The difference in the value of suspended particulate matter, delta (D), measured between 25 to 30 metre from the enclosure of coal crushing plant in the downward and leeward wind direction shall not exceed 150 micogram per cubic meter. Method of measurement shall be High Volume Sampling and Average flow rate, not less than 1.1 m³ per minute, using upwind downwind method of measurement.

B. Effluent discharge standards

The coal washeries shall maintain the close circuit operation with zero effluent discharge.

If in case due to some genuine problems like periodic cleaning of the system, heavy rainfall etc. it become necessary to discharge the  effluent to sewer/land/stream then the effluent shall conform to the following standards at the final outlet of the coal washery.

C. Noise level standards

Operational/Working zone — not to exceed 85 dB (A) Leq for 8 hours exposure.

The ambient air quality standards in respect of noise as notified under Environmental (Protection) Rules, 1986 shall be followed at the boundary line of the coal washery.

Code of practice for Coal Washery.

Water or Water mixed chemical shall be sprayed at all strategic coal transfer points such as conveyors, loading/unloading points etc. As far as practically possible conveyors, transfer points etc. shall be provided with enclosures.

·        The crushers/pulverisers fo the coal washeries shall be provided with enclosures, fitted with suitable air pollution control measures and finally emitted through a stack of minimum height of 30 m, conforming particulate matter emission standard of 150 mg/Nm³ or provided with adequate water sprinkling arrangement.

·        Water sprinkling by using fine atomizer nozzeles arrangement shall be provided on the coal heaps and on land around the crushers/pulverisers.

·        Area, in and around the coal washery shall be pucca either asphalted or concreted.

·        Water consumption in the coal washery shall not exceed 1.5 cubic meter per tonne of coal.

·        The efficiency of the setting ponds of the wastewater treatment system of the coal washery shall not be less than 90%.

·        Green belt shall be developed along the road side, coal handling plants, residential complex, office building an all around the boundary line of the coal washery.

·        Storage bunkers, hoppers, rubber decks in chutes and centrifugal chutes shall be provided with proper rubber linings.

·        Vehicles movement in the coal washery area shall be regulated effectively to avoid traffic congestion. High pressure horn shall be prohibited. Smoke emission from heavy duty vehicle operating in the coal washeries should conform the standards prescribed under Motor Vehicle Rules 1989.

86. Water quality standards for coastal waters marine outfalls

In a coastal segment marine water is subjected to several types of uses. Depending of the types of uses and activities, water quality criteria have been specified to determine its-suitability for particular purpose. Among the various types of uses there is one use that demands highest level of water quality/purity and that is termed as “designated bet use” in that stretch of the coastal segment. Based on this primary water quality criteria have been specified for following five designated best uses:-

The standards along with rationale/remarks for various parameters, for different designated best uses, are give in Table 1.1 to 1.5.

Table 1.1

PRIMARY WATER QUALITY CRITERIA FOR CLASS SW-I WATERS

(For Salt pans, Shell fishing, Mariculture and Ecologically Sensitive Zone)