Revised Classification of Industries ( UPSC Prelims)

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News Context

The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) instructed the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to implement the updated industry classification.

About Revised Classification

• Sectors are categorized into Red, Orange, Green, White, and the new Blue category (refer to the table). • A revised methodology is used based on the Pollution Index (PI), which ranges from 0 to 100, with higher values indicating a greater degree of pollution load.
    o PI is determined using the Precautionary Principle, which involves assessing the potential for water pollution, air pollution, and hazardous waste generation from a specific sector.
    o This was established in 2016 to standardize the criteria for classifying Industries by giving equal importance to scores derived from Water, Air, and Hazardous waste.
 • The CPCB will incentivize industries that have successfully implemented environmental management measures.
    o For example, Consent to Operate (CTO) for the Red Category may be granted for a maximum validity of 10 years.

Existing categories of sectors

Category: Key detail/Examples
 Red (PI > 80):
 ➤ Industries in the Red category are generally not allowed in ecologically fragile or protected areas.
 ➤ Examples include cement production, automobile manufacturing, distilleries, and CBG plants using industrial or process waste.
 Orange (55 ≤ PI < 80):
 ➤ Examples include brick manufacturing, dry cell battery production, and coal washeries.
 Green (25 ≤ PI < 55):
 ➤ Examples include the production of Compact discs (CD/DVD) and chilling plants.
 White (PI < 25):
 ➤ These are non-polluting industries that do not require Environmental Clearance (EC) and Consent.
 ➤ Examples include the assembly of air coolers, cardboard manufacturing, and medical oxygen production.
 Blue (based on CPCB formula):
 ➤ This category includes Essential Environmental Services (ESss) for managing waste from domestic/household activities, crucial for controlling and mitigating pollution.
 ➤ Examples include Municipal Solid Waste Management Facilities (such as sanitary landfills), sewage treatment plants, and Compressed Biogas Plants (CBP) using feedstock like municipal solid waste and agro-residue.
 Note:
 For any new or unclassified sector, SPCB/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) have the authority to categorize the sector independently.

Classification of Industries

Background: Initiated in 1989 with the Doon Valley (Uttarakhand) Notification released by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).
  ● Classification based on PI was implemented in 2016.  
      ○ The classification applies to whole industrial sectors, rather than to individual units.