Evaluation and assessment of air pollution caused by Stone Crusher Industries at Haldwani and Lalkuan Tehsil, District Nainital, Uttarakhand
Student name: Ms Anamika Ghoshal
Guide: Dr Vinay Shankar Prasad Sinha
Year of completion: 2018
Host Organisation: Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Sh. D.S. Kharat
Abstract: All infrastructure projects require construction activities like construction of roadways, buildings, bridges, etc. for which the basic raw material needed is crushed stones that is obtained from the Stone Crushing Industries. This industrial sector release fine quantity of fine fugitive dust emissions which not only pollute the environment but is also hazardous to the workers and the surrounding population, causing various respiratory diseases if there is a long term exposure to the emitted pollution. The purpose of the study is to assess the air pollution caused by stone crushing units in the study area. Fugitive Emission Monitoring of the running stone crushers and Ambient Air Quality Monitoring at selected locations in the tehsil Haldwani and Lalkuan of District Nainital, Uttarakhand is done to verify the environmental pollution problems in the area. In the study area, the prevalent stone crushing units are categorized as small, medium and large scale industries which come under orange color category (B1) (CPCB, 2016). They require environment clearance consent (NOC) according to the EIA Notifications. To Control dust emissions from Stone Crushing units, the Central Pollution Control Board has developed and notified Suspended Particulate Matter Standards and Guidelines for Stone Crushing units via EIA. The study was done by analyzing the emissions released by the units and comparing the results with the prescribed standard limits for the stone crushing industries. Visits were made to see whether the units have adopted and followed the anti-pollution norms and pollution control measures that are formulated in the Emission Standards and guidelines for stone crusher industries notified by CPCB/SPCB. Recommendations are made for the industries which needs to be adopted and followed in the future to control the excess emissions by the units.
Keywords : Particulate matter, AAQM, Fugitive emissions, Stone crusher, Sampler
