Mail News Service
Jamshedpur, Nov 17: The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has rolled out a new system to classify industries according to their pollution levels. Under this revamped framework, industries will now be grouped into five categories — Red, Orange, Green, White, and the newly added Blue.
The classification will be determined on the basis of a Pollution Index, which evaluates the environmental impact of industries through water pollution, air emissions, and waste generation.
Industries falling in the Red category will be subject to the highest level of monitoring, while White category units will require minimal oversight.
The new policy aims to encourage industries to adopt cleaner technologies and sustainable practices.
Key Benefits of the New System
Improved environmental management: Continuous monitoring and categorisation will help reduce industrial pollution and enhance environmental quality.
Promotion of clean technologies: Industries will be encouraged to adopt eco-friendly technologies and sustainable operational practices.
Greater transparency: The classification and regulatory processes will become more transparent and systematic.
Fact File: New Classification Framework
Pollution Load:Industries will be categorised based on their overall pollution burden.
Scale of Operation: The size and capacity of industrial operations will also be considered.
Production Technology: Assessment will factor in the technologies used in production.
Type of Fuel: The nature of fuel used by industries will influence their category.
Introduction of Blue Category: A new Blue Category has been added to cover environmental services related to the management of waste generated from domestic sources.
Extended Validity: Units under the Blue category will receive an additional two-year validity in their consent-to-operate certificates based on their Pollution Index.
Expanded Coverage: The earlier 257 industrial areas have now been expanded to 403 areas, including sub-regions.
Number of Industries Categorised
Red Category: 125 types
Orange Category: 137 types
Green Category: 94 types
White Category: 54 types
Blue Category: 9 types
The new classification system is expected to strengthen environmental governance and bring uniformity to industrial monitoring across the country.
