Wednesday 7 December 2011

RESEARCH

Giri, Amar Nath: Effect of asbestos effluent on morphological and
biochemical parameters in Zea mays Res. Environ. Life Sci., 1,
33-36 (2008).
Giri, Amar Nath, Aditya Verma, Shiv S. Yadav, Shikha Chaudhary and
Y.K. Sharma: Accumulation of heavy metals (Cd, Cr, Ni, Co, Cu
and Fe) in various parts of treated with asbestos effluent. Res.
Environ. Life Sci., 1, 109-112 (2008).

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, COMPLIANCE, ENFORCEMENT & REGULATION in INDIA

Friday, February 18, 2011


ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS, COMPLIANCE, ENFORCEMENT & REGULATION in INDIA


India is a common-law country, judgments by the Supreme Court of India and the various state-level high courts also form part of the law. Certain landmark decisions of the higher judiciary have had a strong impact on the state of environmental law in the country. In addition a new National Environment Policy was adopted in May 2006, which will further serve as a guide to actions by the three organs of state. The prime environmental enforcement agencies in India are the SPCBs and the CPCB. Though initially set up under the Water Act, 1974, the scope of their authority can be described as ‘residual’ in nature with regard to environmental pollution, and encompass the enforcement of the Air Act, various Rules adopted under the EP Act, etc, unless a specific authority has been set up under the Rules, such as the Genetic Engineering Committee, the Environmental Impact Assessment Agency, etc.
Under the Water Act and the Air Act, officers of a SPCB may take samples of any sewage or trade effluent that is passing from any plant or any emissions from any chimney, etc. The result of such sampling analysis is not, however, admissible in evidence in any legal proceeding, unless the detailed procedure prescribed by the Act has been followed.
The SPCB officers have the power of entry and inspection of any place for the purpose of examining any plant, record, register, document or any other material object, or for conducting a search of any place in which he has reason to believe that an offence has been or is about to be committed. The provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure, 1973, shall apply, as they would to searches and seizures made under the authority of a warrant. The powers of investigation as provided for in the various environmental laws itself cannot be challenged; however the arbitrary application thereof can be challenged by way of writ petition before the high courts or the Supreme Court.
The Water Act and the Air Act were amended in the late 1980s to empower the SPCBs to issue directions to any person, officer or authority found to be in non-compliance with the environmental permit, including orders to close, prohibit or regulate any industry, operation or process and to stop or regulate the supply of water, electricity or any other service. The Water Act and the Air Act provide for a specific appeal procedure (time-bound) or revision procedure (not time-bound) to challenge the conditions contained in a permit (consent order), or the withdrawal of a permit, or the refusal to grant a permit.
Appellate authority (time-bound)
The Water Act and the Air Act provide for a route to challenge the conditions imposed by the SPCB in its consent order with a state-level appellate authority (which often consists of scientists as well as jurists).An appeal with the appellate authority would have to be filed within 30 days from the date on which the new, revised or renewed consent order is communicated. Importantly, the appellate authority may uphold, annul or substitute conditions imposed by the SPCB in the consent order.
Revision by the state government (not time-bound) After the expiry of the 30-day period for filing an appeal with the appellate authority or after its decision, an industry may at any time approach the state government to seek a revision of a consent order issued by a SPCB.
Appeal: writ petition at the high court After exhausting the above two remedies, a company would have the right to file a writ petition with the high court to challenge the consent order or failure to issue a permit, on the ground that the conditions imposed are, or the refusal is, unreasonable or arbitrary.
The infringement of most of the environmental pollution laws, such as the Water Act or the Air Act, are criminal in nature and attract penalties and possible imprisonment. Infringements of, for example, environmental zoning notifications would, however, be civil in nature. The courts, be it the regular courts or the environmental courts, would have the powers to impose penalties, imprisonment sentences, uphold closure orders by the SPCBs, etc.
India is an active player in international forums and has ratified numerous Multilateral Environmental Agreements, such as the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971; Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 1973; the Montreal Protocol on Substances That Deplete the Ozone Layer, 1987; the Basel Convention, 1989;the Convention on Biological Diversity, 1992, and its Cartagena Protocol on Biosafety, 1992; the UNFCCC and its Kyoto Protocol; the Rotterdam Convention On the Prior Informed Consent Procedure for Certain Hazardous Chemicals and Pesticides in International Trade, 1998; and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants, 2001.
The prime environmental laws in India include the:

Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 (Water Act), which also gave shape to the powers, functions and hierarchy of the environmental agencies – the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs);
Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 (Air Act);
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (the EP Act), an umbrella law enabling the central government to take all such measures as it deems necessary to protect and improve the quality of the environment and to prevent, control and abate environmental pollution. A wide range of Rules and Notifications have been adopted under this umbrella Act with the objective of providing for the protection and improvement of the environment. It empowers the Central Government to establish authorities [under section 3(3)] charged with the mandate of preventing environmental pollution in all its forms and to tackle specific environmental problems that are peculiar to different parts of the country. The Act was last amended in 1991.
Acts No.29 of 1986, [23/5/1986] - The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, amended 1991 Rules S.O.844(E), [19/11/1986] - The Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 The power conferred by the Environment Protection Act are followed under the following heads: Coastal Regulation Zone , Delegation of Powers, Eco-marks Scheme, Eco-sensitive Zone Environmental Clearance ? General Environmental Labs, Environmental Standards, Hazardous Substances Management, Loss Of Ecology, Noise Pollution , Ozone Layer Depletion, Water Pollution , 2-T Oil, Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 1994; Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972; Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980; Biodiversity Act, 2002; Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991; and National Environment Appellate Authority Act, 1997.
In India, four main categories of waste are governed by separate Rules: hazardous waste; radioactive waste; biomedical waste; and municipal solid waste (the latter being applicable to municipal authorities only). The most comprehensive and relevant law for companies is found in the HW Rules.
Hazardous waste is defined as any waste that by reason of any of its physical, chemical, reactive, toxic, flammable, explosive or corrosive characteristics causes danger or is likely to cause danger to health or the environment, whether alone or when in contact with other waste or substances, and includes, inter alia:
Importantly, as per the HW Rules, the import of waste from any country shall not be permitted for dumping and disposal. The import of such waste may, however, be allowed for processing or reuse as raw material, after each case has been examined on merit by the relevant SPCB, and finally approved by the Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Every occupier (person having the control over the affairs of the factory or premises) handling and storing hazardous waste, every recycler of waste and every operator of a facility for the collection, reception, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste must obtain prior authorisation from the relevant SPCB. The producers of waste shall retain liability for the said waste, based on the joint reading of the various liability principles pertaining to hazardous waste. First, the occupier and the operator of a facility shall both be responsible for the proper collection, reception, treatment, storage and disposal of hazardous waste.
Second, the occupier, transporter and operator of a facility shall all be liable for damages caused to the environment owing to the improper handling and disposal of hazardous waste. Third, the occupier and the operator shall also be liable to reinstate or restore damaged or destroyed elements of the environment at their cost.
As per the Air Act, a person must obtain previous consent from the SPCB to establish or operate any industrial plant in an ‘air pollution control area’.
The Air Act empowers the SPCBs to notify standards for emission of air pollutants into the atmosphere from industrial plants and automobiles, or any other source (not being a ship or an aircraft). The EP Act enables the central government to lay down emissions standards, and the EP Act prevails over provisions found in other environmental laws (with the exception of the penalty provisions). The EP Rules prescribe emission norms for specific industries (such as the rayon industry, coke oven plants, brick kilns, etc). In the absence of industry-specific norms, the general emission standards would apply.
Water is protected by the provisions of the Water Act and the EP Act. The Water Act lays down that no person shall without the previous consent of the state board, establish or take any steps to establish any industry, operation or process, or any treatment and disposal system, that is likely to discharge sewage or trade effluent into a stream, well or sewer or on land. The EP Rules set standards for certain pollutants in water. The Pollution Control Boards also lay down standards and guidelines for the discharge pollutants into water. The word ‘stream’ in the context of the Act includes a river, water course, inland water, subterranean waters and sea or tidal waters.
Marine pollution in India is controlled by the Territorial Waters, Continental Shelf (CS), Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and Other Maritime Zones Act, 1976. This Act asserts India’s sovereignty over the natural resources in the CS and the EEZ, and confers exclusive jurisdiction to the central government to preserve and protect the marine environment and to prevent and control marine pollution within the CS and EEZ. This is complemented by the Merchant Shipping Act, 1958, which governs the civil and criminal liability regimes in the event of oil spills.
Development along the coastal stretches of India is governed by the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991. The CRZ Notification prohibits 13 types of activities, including the establishing of new industries and the expansion of existing industries, with the exception of activities which require water front and foreshore facilities. It further classifies the coast into four categories, depending on their ecological sensitiveness in which different types of activities are prohibited or allowed.
According to the Indian Constitution, water is a subject covered by the ‘state list’. That is, the states have control over the extraction of ground water from surface water sources. However, there is no comprehensive Act to cover groundwater extraction.
A model Bill to regulate and control the development and management of groundwater was prepared in 2005. It has been adopted by some states, though it has yet to be enacted as a law. Certain states like Maharashtra (of which Mumbai is the state capital) have enacted separate laws to regulate the extraction of groundwater to the extent that it affects drinking water supply.
The Indian Forest Act, 1927 provides states with jurisdiction over both public and private forests, and regulates the extraction of timber for profit. The forests are divided into three categories: reserve forests, village forests and protected forests. Once an area is notified as a reserve forest, all previous individual and community rights over the forest will be extinguished, and access to the forest and forest products becomes a matter of state privilege.
It must be added that the Supreme Court has set up a Central Empowered Committee to closely supervise timber availability in India and regulate all wood-based industries, including saw-mills, veneer and plywood plants, as well as, to a certain extent, secondary users of timber (eg, users of wooden packing crates), which all require prior permission to operate. This illustrates to what extent the judiciary in India can be involved in the enforcement of environmental laws.
There are 25 wetland sites notified by India under the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, 1971, which are well protected. Other wetland sites are less well protected. The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 adopts a twofold conservation strategy: certain listed endangered species are protected regardless of their location; and all species are protected in designated areas, ie, sanctuaries and national parks. Recently, two new types of reserves have been created: conservation reserves (state-owned land) and community reserves (community or private land), to improve the socio-economic conditions of people living in such eco-sensitive areas as well as ensuring conservation of wildlife.

The Wildlife Act also implements the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES), 1973, by regulating trade and commerce in wild animals (listed in various categories depending on whether the species is endangered), animal articles, trophies and derivatives from animals.
The Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000, were made to regulate and control noise producing and generating sources. It lays down limitation on noise levels and specifies the existence of silence zones around hospitals, educational institutions, courts, religious places and any such area declared by the competent authority. There are restrictions on the use of loudspeakers and public-address systems. Contravention of the Noise Pollution Rules will lead to penalties under the EP Act. Under the Air Act, an air pollutant is defined to include noise and the provisions of the Air Act extend to noise pollution as well. The Air Act provides for the identification of air pollution control areas, in which pollutants are regulated. There is no singular regime dealing with liability for environmental damage. The various Acts and Rules governing environmental pollution in India contain provisions for penalties in the case of contravention of the various laws, with the EP Act serving as an umbrella or almost ‘residual’ legislation. The EP Act provides that whoever fails to comply with or contravenes any of the provisions of the Act, or the rules made or orders or directions issued under the Act, shall be punishable. Thus, the effect of contravening any of the Rules made under the umbrella of the EP Act would be construed as a violation of the provisions of the EP Act and would attract the penal provisions as laid down in the Act, apart from the specific statutory provisions for penalties. Many environmental petitions have been filed via the public-interest litigation route by concerned citizens or NGOs. Under the Constitution, Supreme Court judgments become law. We may add that in the context of hazardous chemicals, the Supreme Court had adopted the concept of ‘absolute’ liability, Pursuant to the aforementioned Rules for the Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals, every occupier that has control of an industrial activity in which a hazardous chemical (specified under the Rules) is involved or stored (above a certain threshold quantity), must provide evidence to the relevant authority (which may be the SPCB or the chief inspector of factories) that he has identified the major accident hazards, and taken adequate steps to prevent major accident and to limit any consequences to persons and the environment, as well as provided the persons working on-site with the necessary information, training and equipment to ensure safety. A written report must be submitted in this regard at least three months before commencing the activity.
The Factories Act, 1948, as part of its general environmental, health and safety (EHS) provisions pertaining to hazardous processes in factories, requires that every occupier, with the approval of the chief inspector, draw up an on-site emergency plan and detailed disaster control measures for his factory and make known to his workers and to the general public living in the vicinity of the factory the safety measures required to be taken in the event of an accident.
The Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 1994 (EIA 1994), adopted under the EP Act, prescribed a mandatory EIA procedure for various types of projects. The notifications and all its amendments have now been replaced by a comprehensive EIA Notification published on 14 September 2006 (EIA 2006). The EIA 1994 will still be relevant for pending applications and the EIA 2006 contains specific interim guidelines for such cases. In EIA 2006, various activities have been identified where an EIA report is mandatory. The notification envisages that the various activities be classified into two categories, ‘A’ and ‘B’, based on the spatial extent of potential impact, and possible effects on human health and natural and man-made resources. New projects as well as expansion and modernisation of existing projects falling under the mentioned activities will require prior environmental clearance. Whereas category-A activities require clearance from the central government, category-B activities require clearance from a state-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA).
The identified activities requiring prior clearance include:
mining of minerals;
offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration, development and production;
oil and gas transportation pipelines;
thermal power plants;
nuclear power projects and processing of nuclear fuel;
coal washeries;
mineral beneficiation;
metallurgical industries (ferrous and non-ferrous);
cement plants;
petroleum-refining industry;
coke oven plants;
asbestos milling and asbestos-based products;
chlor-alkali industry;
soda ash industry;
leather, skin and hide processing industry; chemical fertilisers;
pesticides industry;
petrochemical complexes;
man-made fibres manufacturing;
synthetic organic chemicals industry;
distilleries;
integrated paint industry;
pulp and paper industry;
sugar industry;
isolated storage and handling of hazardous chemicals;
ship-breaking yards;
industrial estates and parks;
building and construction projects;
townships and area development projects, etc.
The prior environmental clearance granted for a project or activity shall be valid for a period of ten years in the case of river valley projects, project life as estimated by EAC or SEAC subject to a maximum of 30 years for mining projects and five years in the case of all other projects and activities. It is mandatory for the project management to submit half-yearly compliance reports in respect of the stipulated prior environmental clearance terms and conditions.
A prior environmental clearance granted for a specific project or activity to an applicant may be transferred during its validity to another legal person entitled to undertake the project or activity on application by the transferor (or by the transferee with a written ‘no objection’ by the transferor) to the regulatory authority concerned, on the same terms and conditions under which the prior environmental clearance was initially granted, and for the same validity period. No reference to the expert appraisal committee concerned is necessary in such cases.
There are four stages which have to be followed by typical projects to obtain clearance:
screening (only for category-B projects and activities);
scoping;
public consultation; and
appraisal.
Public hearings are exempted for some projects, such as modernisation of irrigation projects, projects within industrial estates or parks, expansion of roads and highways not needing further land acquisition, all building, construction and area development and townships.
An expert appraisal committee (EAC) or state-level expert appraisal committee (SEAC) must complete its assessment and make a recommendation within 60 days of receipt of all requisite documents and the completion of the public hearing. The regulatory authority shall consider the recommendations of the (S)EAC and convey its decision to the applicant within 45 days of receipt of the recommendations of the (S)EAC, or in other words within 105 days of the receipt of the final Environment Impact Assessment Report. For projects that do not require an EIA (so-called ‘B-2’ projects identified by the SEAC in stage (ii) or ‘scoping’ stage), the final decision must be conveyed within 105 days of the receipt of the complete application with requisite documents.
By:
Dr. Amar Nath Giri
M.Sc. Env. Science,
Ph.D -Environmental Science & Law,
PGDEPL,
CES
ENVIRONMENT & QUALITY
NFCL. INDIA

Health benefits from fruit and veg

PUBLISHED AT http://www.hopeaustralia.org.au/component/content/article/198-health-benefits-from-fruit-and-veg

The treatment of some common ailments can benefit from fruit and vegetable juices, for example:
Acidity : Grapes, orange, mosambi, carrot and spinach.
Acne : Grapes, pear, plum, tomato, cucumber, carrot, potato and spinach.
Allergies : Apricot, grapes, carrot, beet and spinach. 

Arteriosclerosis : Grapefruit, pineapple, lemon, celery, carrot, lettuce, and spinach.
Anaemia : Apricot, prune, strawberry, red grape, beet, celery, carrot and spinach.
Arthritis : Sour cherry, pineapple, sour apple, lemon, grapefruit, cucumber, beet, carrot, lettuce and spinach.
Asthma : Apricot, lemon, pineapple, peach, carrot, radish and celery.
Bronchitis : Apricot, lemon, pineapple, peach, tomato, carrot, onion and spinach.
Bladder Ailments : Apple, apricot, lemon, cucumber, carrot, celery, parsley and watercress.
Colds : Lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion, celery and spinach.
Constipation : Apple, pear, grapes, lemon, carrot, beet, spinach and watercress.
Colitis : Apple, apricot, pear, peach, pineapple, papaya, carrot, beet, cucumber and spinach.
Diabetes : Citrus fruits, carrot, celery, lettuce and spinach.
Diarrhoea : Papaya, lemon, pineapple, carrot and celery.
Eczema : Red grapes,carrot, spinach, cucumber and beet.
Epilepsy : Red grapes, figs, carrot, celery and spinach.
Eye Disorders : Apricot ,tomato, carrot, celery, parsley and spinach.
Gout : Red sour cherries, pineapple, tomato, cucumber, beet, carrot, celery and spinach.
Halitosis : Apple, grapefruit, lemon, pineapple, tomato, carrot, celery and spinach.
Headache : Grapes, lemon, carrot, lettuce and spinach.
Heart Disease : Red grapes, lemon, cucumber, carrot, beet and spinach.
High blood pressure : Grapes, orange, cucumber, carrot and beet.
Influenza : Apricot, orange, lemon , grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, onion and spinach.
Insomnia : Apple, grapes, lemon, lettuce , carrot and celery.
Jaundice : Lemon, grapes, pear, carrot, celery, spinach, beet and cucumber.
Kidney Disorders : Apple, orange, lemon, cucumber, cucumber,carrot, celery, parsley and beet.
Liver ailments : Lemon, papaya, grapes, carrot, tomato, beet and cucumber.
Menstrual Disorders :Grapes, prunes, cherry, spinach, lettuce turnips and beet.
Menopausal Symptoms : Fruits and Vegetables in season.
Neuritis : Orange, pineapple, apple, carrot and beet.
Obesity : Lemon, grapefruit, orange, cherry, pineapple, papaya, tomato, beet, cabbage, lettuce, spinach and carrot.
Piles : Lemon, orange, papaya, pineapple, carrot, spinach, turnip and watercress.
Prostate Troubles : All fruit juices in season, carrot, asparagus, lettuce and spinach.
Psoriasis : Grapes, carrot, beet, and cucumber.
Rheumatism : Grapes, orange, lemon, grapefruit, tomato, cucumber, beet, carrot and spinach.
Stomach Ulcers : Apricot, grapes, cabbage and carrot.
Sinus Trouble : Apricot, lemon, tomato, carrot, onion and radish.
Sore Throat : Apricot, grapes, lemon, pineapple, prune, tomato, carrot and parsley.
Tonsilitis : Apricot, lemon, orange, grapefruit, pineapple, carrot, spinach and radish.
Varicose Veins : Grapes, orange, plum, tomato, beetroot carrot and watercress.

Dr. Amar Nath Giri


Your planet needs you ! UNite to combat climate change!

Tuesday 6 December 2011

World Environment Day 2010 Theme - “Biodiversity — Ecosystems Management and the Green Economy”

1350 MTPD X 2 Ammonia Plants, 2300 MTPD X 2 Urea Plants, Off-site facilities, GTs with HRSG, H P Steam Boilers, Water Treatment Plants, Ammonia Storage, Bagging, Compressed Air, Inert gas, Effluent treatment

Management Systems

QUALITY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (QMS 9001): Current & future needs of the organization, Current product and process performance, Benchmarking, opportunities for improvement, Results of Management Review, Self assessment results, Levels of satisfaction of interested parties, Legal concern in respect of product, Out come of marketing surveys

ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (EMS 14001): Environmental Policy, Legal concern, Technological and Operational feasibility, Financial viability, Significant aspects , Resource Depletion, Interested Party Concern , Results of Management Review

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH & SAFETY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM (OHSAS 18001): OH & S Policy of the company, Legal and other requirements. Significant Risks, Technological options and feasibility. Financial, Operational and Business requirements. Views of employees and Interested Party Concern. Past accident/ incidents data in the complex as well as in similar organisations, Results of Management Review.

PROCESS SAFETY MANAGENT SYATEM (PSMS): Establishing a Safety culture, Providing management leadership and commitment, implementing a comprehensive PSMS, Achieving operating excellence through operational discipline.

Based on our systems we are continuously giving dedication to all because of all the systems having their own significance.

Responsibility Regarding Systems

Section Head Responsible for implementation and maintenance of Management Systems (ISO 9001,ISO 14001,OHSAS 18001 & PSMS) in the section/area Identification of training needs including QMS, EMS, OHSAS & PSMS competency for personnel reporting to him and maintain competency assessment records Ensure employees in the section are adequately trained and instructed to carry out their assigned duties and responsibilities.

To identify the Aspects/Risks related to various activities in the section/area that can have potential impact on Environment, Health & Safety (EHS) w.r.t EMS,OHSAS and maintain a register and evolve control plans Evaluate the significant Environmental Aspects/OH&S Risks in the section/area and maintain a register, prepare & implement Operation Control Procedures and ensure existing controls are in place.

To propose objectives and targets from time to time and ensure effective implementation w.r.t QMS, EMS, OHSAS & PSMS pertaining to the section and to communicate to the concerned employees in the section.

To conduct communication meetings periodically to disseminate pertinent information required under QMS, EMS, OHSAS & PSMS.

To ensure that the connected Work Instructions & Operation Control Procedures are followed

To ensure the Emergency Preparedness plan is well disseminated and well prepared for meeting any emergency and ensure adequate number of persons are trained in first aid & rescue operations.

To assist HOD in QMS, EMS, OHSAS & PSMS related activities.

To ensure compliance w.r.t all applicable statutory regulations/ standards and also to ensure the requirements of safety & PSMS standards
Consider QMS, EMS & OH&S requirements while placing purchase/ service orders and approving such indents.

To ensure Environment protection & Safety is given due performance while evaluating employees performance Responsible for compliance of Recommendations on various audit observations and maintenance of records Report, investigate all OH&S incidents/ accidents, Environmental incidents or emergencies.

Ensuring maintenance of competency assessment records of contractors.

Shift in Charge
To assist SH in effective implementation of Management Systems in the section
To assist SH in identifying Environmental aspects/OH&S risks, Objectives & Targets for the section
To effectively implement Work Instructions & Operation Control Procedures in the functional area
To assist SH in imparting Management Systems awareness in the section
Provide a suitable level of supervision.

Table here (please visit PDF file attached)

To ensure good work environment in the section
To coordinate with sections concerned during upset conditions to minimize Safety, Health & Environment impacts.
Report all accidents/ incidents/emergencies & near misses and conduct preliminary investigations on such happenings.
Encourage employees to report defects and suggest improvements

Ensure right tool is used for the right job and defective tools/ equipment are taken out of use.
Conduct regular inspections of work sites to eliminate conditions and practices that could lead deviation from Management Systems.
Communicate the unsafe conditions and hazards to all concerned, including contract workmen and ensure timely actions are taken.

Allocate work in accordance with the employees level of competency
Ensure the availability of Personnel Protective equipment (PPE) and use of appropriate PPE by the subordinates.

Conduct regular OHS 5-Minute Safety talks with the staff, explaining the relevant measures and procedures in relation to their work and encourage greater awareness.

Collect feedback from the subordinates for improving Management Systems in the section/plant
Operator
To be aware of the Management System policy
To follow the Work Instructions & Operational procedures appropriate to the job
To assist SIC in improving the management systems performance in the work area.
To report unsafe condition/ act, defective equipment to the immediate Supervisor/ Engineer.
Always use the right tool for the right job
Don’t use defective equipment or misuse the equipment. Use tools which are tested and certified
To follow emergency preparedness plan in case of emergency
To report accidents, incidents, however small, and “near misses” to the supervisor and suggestions for improvement.
To maintain tools and equipment in safe working condition and reporting any defects to the supervisor
To participate in QMS, EMS ,OHSAS &PSMS meetings
To use appropriate PPE.

SUPPORTING STAFF
To follow the Work Instructions & Operational Control Procedures specified for the work area.
To assist SH/SIC/Operators to keep work environment clean

Common aspects of Systems


o Policy development and management commitment.
o Steering committee or management review committee.
o Nominating co-ordinator or management representative.
o Core teams involving sectional heads.
o Field level teams comprising of first line supervisors and workmen.
o Extensive and intensive training for all levels, including contract workmen – awareness programmes, practical training for understanding and implementing procedures and record keeping. Similarity of documentation, measurement, monitoring and control among the systems.
o Motivation through recognition and reward system.

Benefits derived

Process Safety Management System

Focused system approach towards process safety has proactively eliminated potential incidents in hazardous chemical (ammonia) handling and storage.
o Increased participation of employees and ownership of the system.
o Compliance to all safety regulations by contractors and contract employees.
o Changes to process involving hazardous chemicals carried out in a controlled and safe
way.
o Increased preparedness for emergency response.
o Continual improvement in process safety by regular compliance audits & incident investigations.
o Maintaining safety critical equipment in proper condition, thus avoiding incidents. Improved technical awareness of process hazards and safety systems contributing to safe work behavior.

Quality Management System

Focused attention on training and periodical internal audits, generated a sense of importance, which has particularly helped in improving effectiveness in product handling and bagging operations. The results were seen through reduction of off-spec generation and product losses.
o The practice of PDCA (Plan DO Check Act )and preparation of CAPA ( Corrective and Preventive Action) documentation under QMS (Quality Management Systems) has resulted in improving quality of the product and operations.
o Documentation of procedures and maintaining of records though cumbersome and time consuming has given good clarity of job requirements and sense of direction to employees.
The employee suggestion scheme as part of involvement of people brought solutions for chronic problems such as quality of finished products and reduction of losses.
o The sense of purpose programme under customer focus initiated by the organization has given greater scope for understanding customer requirements by the plant personnel, thus resulted in delivering of improved quality of the product to the customer.
o Adhering to schedules for periodic calibration of instruments measuring the quality parameters and conditioning monitoring of the equipment affecting the quality helped he organisation supplying the consistent quality of the product to the customer on sustainable basis.

Environmental Management System

Critical review of the existing systems as part of EMS helped in elimination of wasteful practices, identifying source of hazards and controlling inefficient operations resulting in energy and material conservation.
o Commitment towards statutory compliance and initiatives of better environment and energy management practices are the two major indicators of implementation of the system.
o The Aspect-Impact Analysis under EMS has thrown up the deficiencies in the system and by addressing the same statutory compliance could be ensured.
o Implementation of the systems has brought out cultural transformation amongst the work force including contract workmen, thus facilitating them carrying out the operations in a safe and environmental friendly manner.
o Implementation of EMS in line with ISO 14001 has lifted the organization to a new level of performance, winning many laurels particularly in housekeeping, sustained legal compliance with respect to liquid effluents, material and oil spillage control, hazard waste management and energy conservation.

Conclusion
For sustainability and to derive maximum benefit out of the systems, a holistic approach involving people and processes should be adopted.
o Like any initiative towards improvement, the implementation of the systems requires a cultural change amongst all concerned and the time schedule should allow for this.
o It is also important to explain and convince various operating personnel in the organization, the reasons to go for these systems.
o A team effort and commitment amongst employees including contract workmen, accepting their role in the process is highly desirable for the sustainability of the systems.
o The additional burden of documentation and regimented procedures is more than compensated by the benefits derived in form of organizational effectiveness.

The audit plan covers
a) The audit objectives;
b) The audit criteria and any reference documents;
c) The audit scope, including identification of the organizational and functional units and processes to be audited;
d) The dates and places where the on-site audit activities are to be conducted;
e) The expected time and duration of on-site audit activities, including meetings with the auditee’s management and audit team meetings;
f) The roles and responsibilities of the audit team members and accompanying persons;
g) The allocation of appropriate resources to critical areas of the audit. The audit plan should also cover the following, as appropriate:
h) Identification of the auditee’s representative for the audit;
i) The working and reporting language of the audit where this is different from the language of the auditor and/or the auditee;
j) The audit report topics;
k) Logistic arrangements (travel, on-site facilities, etc.);
l) Matters related to confidentiality;
m) Any audit follow-up actions.

The audit team leader, in consultation with the audit team, should assign to each team member responsibility for auditing specific processes, functions, sites, areas or activities. Such assignments should take into account the need for the independence and competence of auditors and the effective use of resources, as well as different roles and responsibilities of auditors, auditors-in-training and technical experts. Changes to the work assignments may be made as the audit progresses to ensure the achievement of the audit objectives.

Materials Handled: Natural Gas, Naphtha, Hydrogen, Chlorine, Ammonia, Carbamate Soln., Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen, Hydrochloric Acid, HDPE/PP bags, Sodium Hydroxide, Compressed Air

HAZARDS: FIRE, CORROSION, TOXICITY, EXPLOSION
Main Types of Audits: Compliance audit, Pre-acquisition/Due diligence audit. Regulatory compliance audit, Personal Protective Equipment audit, Fire prevention & control audit, Electrical safety audit, Ergonomics audit, Hazardous substances handling audit, Emergency response planning audit,
Audit Process: Audit scope Covers facilities & units, subject areas and criteria, Factors to be considered: Company policies, Regulatory requirements, Resource limitation, Time available, Nature of operation & risks

No single ‘correct’ approach
: Audit objectives, Audit frequency, Audit staffing, Audit techniques, Pre-audit, Audit, Post-audit, Audit reporting Audit follow-up: Internal Auditors: Low cost, Operational familiarity, Less independent Cover all sections, Monitor thoroughly, Train as many as possible, Quality matters not numbers, Choose from middle and senior levels, Conduct periodic refresher courses

Look for: Adequacy, Compliance, Effectiveness
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Auditors to be seen as “Partners” Audit should “add value” and “stimulate progress”, Last word “Organized Commonsense”

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ENVIRONMENT, HEALTH, SAFETY & QUALITY MANAGEMENT FACILITIES AT NFCL, KAKINADA, ANDHRA PRADESH, INDIA
R. RAGHAVAN, K. RAMCAHNDRA RAO, V. APPALA RAJU, *Dr AMAR NATH GIRI

An article on Ganga by Dr. Amarnath Giri

Hindus have always believed that water from India's Ganges River has extraordinary powers. The Indian emperor Akbar called it the "water of immortality" and always traveled with a supply. The British East India Co. used only Ganges water on its ships during the three-month journey back to England, because it stayed "sweet and fresh."
Indians have always claimed it prevents diseases, but are the claims wives' tales or do they have scientific substance?

In the fourth installment of a six-part series, independent producer Julian Crandall Hollick searched for the "mysterious X factor" that gives Ganges water its mythical reputation.
He starts his investigation looking for the water's special properties at the river's source in the Himalayas. There, wild plants, radioactive rocks, and unusually cold, fast-running water combine to form the river. But since 1854, almost all of the Ganges' water has been siphoned off for irrigation as it leaves the Himalayas.

Hollick speaks with DS Bhargava, a retired professor of hydrology, who has spent a lifetime performing experiments up and down Ganges in the plains of India. In most rivers, Bhargava says, organic material usually exhausts a river's available oxygen and starts putrefying. But in the Ganges, an unknown substance, or "X factor" that Indians refer to as a "disinfectant," acts on organic materials and bacteria and kills them. Bhargava says that the Ganges' self-purifying quality leads to oxygen levels 25 times higher than any other river in the world.

Hollick's search for a scientific explanation for the X factor leads him to a spiritual leader at an ashram and a biologist in Kanpur. But his best answer for the Ganges' mysterious substance comes from Jay Ramachandran, a molecular biologist and entrepreneur in Bangalore.

In a short science lesson, Ramachandran explains why the Ganges doesn't spread disease among the millions of Indians who bathe in it. But he can't explain why the river alone has this extraordinary ability to retain oxygen.

Although many small streams comprise the headwaters of the Ganges, the six longest headstreams and their five confluences are given both cultural and geographical emphasis (see the map showing the headwaters of the river). The Alaknanda river meets the Dhauliganga river at Vishnuprayag, the Nandakini river at Nandprayag, the Pindar river at Karnaprayag, the Mandakini river at Rudraprayag and finally the Bhagirathi river at Devprayag, to form the mainstem, the Ganges. The Bhagirathi is the source stream; it rises at the foot of Gangotri Glacier, at Gaumukh, at an elevation of 3,892 m (12,769 ft). The headwaters of the Alaknanda are formed by snowmelt from such peaks as Nanda Devi, Trisul, and Kamet.

After flowing 200 km through its narrow Himalayan valley, the Ganges debouches on the Gangetic Plain at the pilgrimage town of Haridwar. There, a dam diverts some of its waters into the Ganges Canal, which irrigates the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh. The Ganges, whose course has been roughly southwestern until this point, now begins to flow southeast through the plains of northern India.

Further, the river follows an 800 km curving course passing through the city of Kanpur before being joined from the southwest by the Yamuna at Allahabad. This point is known as the Sangam at Allahabad. Sangam is a sacred place in Hinduism. According to ancient Hindu texts, at one time a third river, the Sarasvati, met the other two rivers at this point.

Joined by numerous rivers such as the Kosi, Son, Gandaki and Ghaghra, the Ganges forms a formidable current in the stretch between Allahabad and Malda in West Bengal. On its way it passes the towns of Kanpur, Soron, Kannauj, Allahabad, Varanasi, Patna, Ghazipur, Bhagalpur, Mirzapur, Ballia, Buxar, Saidpur, and Chunar. At Bhagalpur, the river meanders past the Rajmahal Hills, and begins to run south. At Pakur, the river begins its attrition with the branching away of its first distributary, the Bhāgirathi-Hooghly, which goes on to form the Hooghly River. Near the border with Bangladesh the Farakka Barrage, built in 1974, controls the flow of the Ganges, diverting some of the water into a feeder canal linking the Hooghly to keep it relatively silt-free.

After entering Bangladesh, the main branch of the Ganges is known as the Padma River until it is joined by the Jamuna River, the largest distributary of the Brahmaputra. Further downstream, the Ganges is fed by the Meghna River, the second largest tributary of the Brahmaputra, and takes on the Meghna's name as it enters the Meghna Estuary. Fanning out into the 350 km wide Ganges Delta, it finally empties into the Bay of Bengal. Only two rivers, the Amazon and the Congo, have greater discharge than the combined flow of the Ganges, the Brahmaputra and the Surma-Meghna river system.

The Ganges river has been considered one of the dirtiest rivers in the world. [The extreme pollution of the Ganges affects 400 million people who live close to the river. The river waters start getting polluted right at the source. The commercial exploitation of the river has risen in proportion to the rise of population. Gangotri and Uttarkashi are good examples too. Gangotri had only a few huts of Sadhus until the 1970s[ and the population of Uttrakashi has swelled in recent years. As it flows through highly populous areas the Ganges collects large amounts of human pollutants, e.g., Schistosoma mansoni and faecal coliforms, and drinking and bathing in its waters therefore carries a high risk of infection. While proposals have been made for remediating this condition, little progress has been achieved. Recently, the World Bank has agreed to loan India one billion US dollars over the next five years to clean up the Ganges.

Along the 4 miles (6.4 kilometres) stretch of terraced bathing ghats in the holy city of Varanasi, the water of the Ganges is a "brown soup of excrement and industrial effluents." The water there contains 60,000 faecal coliform bacteria per 100 ml, 120 times the official limit of 500 faecal coliforms/100ml that is considered safe for bathing.

The Ganges river's long-held reputation as a purifying river appears to have a basis in science. First of all, the river carries bacteriophages that vanquish bacteria and more. As reported in a National Public Radio program, dysentery and cholera are killed off, preventing large-scale epidemics. The river has an unusual ability to retain dissolved oxygen, but the reason for this ability is unknown.

Climate change: The Tibetan Plateau contains the world's third-largest store of ice. Qin Dahe, the former head of the China Meteorological Administration, said that the recent fast pace of melting and warmer temperatures will be good for agriculture and tourism in the short term; but issued a strong warning:
"Temperatures are rising four times faster than elsewhere in China, and the Tibetan glaciers are retreating at a higher speed than in any other part of the world.... In the short term, this will cause lakes to expand and bring floods and mudflows. . . . In the long run, the glaciers are vital lifelines for Asian rivers, including the Indus and the Ganges. Once they vanish, water supplies in those regions will be in peril."

In 2007, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (the "IPCC"), in its Fourth Report, stated that the Himalayan glaciers which feed the Ganges, were at risk of melting by 2035.[The IPCC has now withdrawn that prediction, as the original source admitted that it was speculative and the cited source was not a peer reviewed finding. [In its statement, the IPCC stands by its general findings relating to the Himalayan glaciers being at risk from global warming (with consequent risks to waterflow into the Gangetic basin).
The 2,500km (1,500-mile) river has been badly polluted by industrial chemicals, farm pesticides and other sewage.

Speaking in Delhi, World Bank chief Robert Zoellick said the clean-up would target the entire river network. Plans involve building sewage treatment plants, revamping drains and other measures to improve the water quality. The funding is part of the Indian government's multi-billion dollar initiative to end the discharge of untreated waste into the Ganges by 2020. Environmentalists say the river supports more than 400 million people, and if the unabated pollution is not controlled, it will be the end of communities living along the banks.

Earlier attempts to clean the river have failed, including a plan to make its water drinkable by 1989. But Mr Zoellick said he was confident the plan would work this time. "In the past, [efforts] focused too much on individual aspects such as sewage emissions and not enough on the basin as a whole," he said.
"What really distinguishes this project is to try to look at the whole river network and try to deal with all the aspects."
Correspondents say many of India's polluting factories are located on the banks of the Ganges and their effluent has been largely responsible for the pollution of the river.

The Ganges also flows through some of most crowded cities of India which release their untreated sewage into the river. Also India's finance ministry has said the World Bank would triple its lending to $7bn this year for development, infrastructure and other projects.

Dennison Berwick (born 19 May 1956 in West Yorkshire, England) is a travel writer. Educated at Trinity College, Glenalmond, he emigrated to Canada in 1980. Since then he has walked the entire length of the river Ganges in India ( the 3000 km walk is recounted in A Walk Along the Ganges) and travelled extensively in the Amazon and (journeys that were described in Amazon and Savages: The Life and Killing of the Yanomami). He is also editor of the Canadian Retreat Guide, a guide to more than 140 monasteries, retreat centres etc. in Canada. He spent several weeks helping people in the isolated villages on the west coast of Aceh, Sumatra, following the devastating tsunami in December 2004 and is now working on a novel inspired by those experiences. He currently lives most of the year on his boat "Kuan Yin" (a Tahitiana 32). He is currently working on a new book about Labrador.

National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES)
Stakeholder involvement: Stakeholders are people (e.g., general public, business interests, government entities, local agencies, citizens, etc.) concerned about a particular water body. They become involved in development through local groups working with Regional Water Quality Control Board staff. Their interests range from pursuing the science to support to figuring out how to implement new management approaches.

Water body assessment: Pollution sources and loads are determined, and their overall effect on the water body is assessed.
Develop allocations: Based on the assessment, pollutant loads are allocated for each source. IT may address a single pollutant or many pollutants. The allocations must be designed so that the water body will attain the applicable water quality standards.

Develop an implementation plan: The plan describes the approach and activities required to ensure that the allocations are met.

Amend the Basin Plan: Before a it is enforceable it must be incorporated into the appropriate Water Quality Control Plan by amending the Basin Plan in accordance with state law.


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Article by:
Dr. Amar Nath Giri
Compiled BY different ITNERNET Sources