Union Government to re-classify industries in a three-coloured scheme based on pollution potential
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on 7 April 2015 proposed a colour-coded system to re-classify industries based on pollution potential. As per the proposal, the industries will be re-classified under three-coloured scheme, viz., Red, Orange and Green.
The proposal was part of the resolution adopted at the two-day State Environment and Forest Ministers' Conference at which measures to amend regulations to improve ease-of-doing business while protecting the environment was discussed.
Proposed colour-coded scheme
- Red Category: Industrial sectors with a score of 60 and more
- Orange Category: Industrial sectors with a score between 30 to 59
- Green Category: Industrial sectors with a score between 15 to 29
Industrial sectors scoring below 15 will be considered as white as they are environment friendly.
New renewal system for industries
New renewal system for industries
- Further, it is proposed to scrap the present system of annual renewal of certification for industries and replace it with a scheme that ties in with the colour-coded categories. Thus, as per the new renewal system:
- Industrial sectors falling under Red category will be given consent to operate with the validity period of five years
- Industrial sectors falling under Orange category will be given consent to operate for ten years
- Industrial sectors falling under Green category will be given a onetime consent
- Apart from this, the individual units’ operative under this colour-coded scheme in various sectors will earn stars for compliance with environmental norms.
- The two-day conference, which was participated by 30 ministers from different state looked upon a wide range of issues like waste to wealth, ease of doing business, TSR Subramanian committee recommendations, forest, wildlife, pollution-related issues, biodiversity and climate change.
