Prelims: National developments, general issues related to environmental ecology, biodiversity and climate change.
Mains, General Studies Paper-2: Issues arising out of government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and their design and implementation. |
Context:
The Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change has exempted 39 white category industries from the mandatory requirement of obtaining permission from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB).
Exempted Industries:
- The major industries that get exemption with the permission of SPCB include:
- Manufacturing units making solar cells and modules
- Wind and hydro power units
- Fly ash bricks/blocks manufacturing
- Leather cutting and stitching
- Assembling, repair and servicing of air coolers/conditioners
- As per the 2016 classification by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), all these sectors are classified as ‘white category’ industries.
- White category includes those industries that emit the least pollution in nature.
- This exemption has been given by CPCB under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981.
- Consent to Establish (CTE) permit is issued along with Consent to Operate (CTO) permit to regulate industries that emit wastes or pollutants into the environment.
Colour-coded classification of industries:
- There are four colour-coded categories of industries as per CPCB’s classification:
- Red category: Industrial areas with pollution index of 60 and above
- Orange category: Industrial areas with pollution index of 41 to 59
- Green category: Industrial areas with pollution index of 21 to 40
- White category: Industrial areas with pollution index of 0 to 20
- Industries in the ‘red’ category are subjected to the strictest scrutiny as the goods being manufactured by them emit toxic wastes.
- The Union Environment Ministry and CPCB had introduced the 'White Category' of industries in the year 2016 while reviewing the classification of industries.
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Know this too!
- The Pollution Index (PI) of any industrial sector ranges from 0 to 100.
- As per the norms of CPCB, an increase in the value of PI indicates the increasing level of pollution load in the industrial sector.
- Pollution Index scores are prepared on the basis of emissions, waste discharge, generation of hazardous waste and consumption of natural resources.
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Benefits:
- This decision of the Union Ministry of Environment and Climate Change will reduce the 'compliance burden' of industries.
- There will be absolutely no need to take consent for the establishment and operation of non-polluting white category industries. This will also prevent duplication of approval.
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