GUWAHATI: The Union Environment Ministry has exempted industries classified under the ‘white category’, considered to be non-polluting or minimally polluting, from needing prior approval from state pollution control boards to establish operations under the Air Act, 1981, and Water Act, 1974.
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This exemption is part of new regulations issued by the Ministry, which also integrates the prior requirement for a 'Consent to Establish' (CTE) with the environmental clearance process. The CTE is typically granted alongside a 'Consent to Operate' (CTO) permit, which regulates industries that discharge pollutants or effluents into the environment.
According to the notification on November 12, industrial plants with a Pollution Index (PI) score of 20 or lower have been exempted from obtaining the CTE, enabling them to begin operations by simply notifying the relevant state or union territory pollution control bodies. The PI score, which ranges from 0 to 100, reflects the pollution load of a sector based on factors such as emissions, effluent discharge, hazardous waste generation, and natural resource consumption. A lower PI score indicates a lower environmental impact.
The exemption also extends to plants that have already secured environmental clearance under the 2006 notification (S.O. 1533(E)) issued by the former Ministry of Environment and Forests, removing the need for a CTE for their ongoing operations.
The ministry’s move follows a proposal made in July, addressing concerns over the complexities of the consent process, high consent fees, and how exempting certain industries could boost ease of doing business. The white category of industries, which was introduced in 2016, includes sectors that are minimally polluting or non-polluting, with industries such as the assembly of air coolers and air conditioners, bicycle assembly, waste paper bailing, tea blending, and fly ash brick manufacturing among those benefiting from the new exemption.
