Fighting pollution gets renewed thrust with government releasing new ‘colour’ codes for industries based on their pollution load factor.
On 5 March 2016, Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), Prakash Javadekar released the four colour categorizations for industries as per the following Pollution Index (PI) score between 0 and 100:
Industries with Pollution Index score of 60 and above: Red category
Industries with Pollution Index score of 41 to 59: Orange category
Industries with Pollution Index score of 21 to 40: Green category
Industries with Pollution Index score including and upto 20: White category
As per the Minister, new colour categorization of industries was imperative as the earlier colour categorization did not correctly reflect the pollution levels generated by industries. In the earlier colour-based categorization, 25 industries, which were not critically polluting, were included in the Red category. This presented a distorted picture and therefore there was a need felt for fair categorization.
The ‘White’ category is a new addition and covers 36 industrial sectors that are mostly non-polluting. The white category will exempt companies from obtaining ‘Consent to Operate’ certificate. Henceforth, a mere written intimation to PCC or SPCB will be sufficient to proceed.
Industries falling under ‘White’ category include LED and CFL bulb assembly, power generation using solar photovoltaic technology, wind power generating units, hydel units less than 25 MW, products made from rolled PVC sheets using automatic vacuum forming machines, cotton and woolen hosiers using dry processes etc.
Normally, industries falling under ‘Red’ category will not be permitted in ecologically fragile or sensitive areas. Interestingly, industries like integrated automobile manufacturing, airports and commercial air strips, and milk & dairy products are included in the ‘Red’ category.
It is hoped that the new colour categorization will spur companies to adopt cleaner technologies that are more efficient and less polluting to the environment.
Another major objective of the new colour categorization has been the need to establish a clear, fair and transparent system for clearances from MoEFCC and minimize subjectivity in categorization that led to corruption in clearances.
The new code will enable the process of applicant companies to self-assess their industry categorization and submit their application online. Based on the colour category, they will need to submit the requisite documents that are less cumbersome. The entire process of clearance will be fast, transparent and visible to the applicant.
What is Pollution Index?
Pollution Index (PI) measures the level of ‘emissions’ that cause air pollution, ‘effluents’ that contaminate water, ‘hazardous wastes’ which includes dangerous chemicals and ‘consumption of resources’ which excessively use natural resources.
Based on the pollution levels, a PI score is assigned. A higher level of pollution will reflect a higher score. The Index was derived after extensive consultation with various pollution control and monitoring bodies like CPCB, SPCB along with MoEFCC.
Industries classified under Colour Categories
S.N
Red category
Orange category
Green category
White category
1
Isolated storage of hazardous chemicals
Almirah, Grill Manufacturing
Aluminium utensils
Air coolers / conditioners
2
Automobile Manufacturing (integrated)
Aluminium & copper extraction from scrap
Ayurvedic medicines
Bicycles, baby carriages
3
Hazardous waste recycling (Spent cleared metal catalyst)
Automobile servicing, repairing
Small Bakery /confectionery
Bailing of waste papers
4
Lubricating oils and grease manufacturing
Ayurvedic and homeopathic medicine
PP film
Bio fertilizer / bio-pesticides
5
DG Set (> 5 MVA)
Brickfields
Biomass briquettes
Biscuits trays
6
Carbon black & allied
Building and construction >20,000 sq
Melamine resins
Blending / packing of tea
7
Lead acid battery
Cashew nut processing
Brass and bell metal utensils
Block making of printing
8
Phosphate rock processing
Ceramics and Refractories
Candy
Chalk making
9
Power generation plant
Chanachur and ladoo using husk fired oven
Cardboard / corrugated box
Compressed oxygen gas
10
Hazardous Waste Recyclers (Spent catalyst)
Coal washeries
Carpentry & wooden furniture
Cotton and woollen hosiers
11
Chlorinated hydrocarbons
Coated electrode
Cement products
Diesel pump repairing
12
Sugar
Coffee seed processing
Ceramic colour by mixing
Electric lamp (bulb) and CFL
13
Fibre glass production
Compact disc computer floppy
Chilling plant and ice making
Electrical and electronic items
14
Fire crackers
Copper waste recyclers
Coke briquetting
Engineering and fabrication units
15
E-Waste Recyclers
Dairy and dairy products (small scale)
Small Cotton spinning and weaving
Flavoured betel nuts
16
Milk and dairy products
DG set ( >1MVA but
Dal Mills
Fly ash bricks / block
17
Phosphorous
Dismantling of rolling stocks
Decoration of ceramic cups
Fountain pen
18
Pulp & Paper
Dry cell battery
Digital printing on PVC clothes
Glass ampules
19
Coke making
Dry coal / mineral processing
Handling, storage of food grains
Glass putty and sealant
20
Explosives / detonators
Fermentation (Extra Neutral Alcohol)
Flour mills
Ground nut decorticating
21
Paints varnishes, pigments
Ferrous and Non- ferrous metal extraction
Electrical Glass, ceramic, earthen potteries
Handloom/ carpet weaving
22
Organic Chemicals
Fertilizer (granulation / formulation / blending
Glue from starch
Leather cutting and stitching
23
Airports and Commercial Air Strips
Fish feed, poultry feed and cattle feed
Gold and silver smithy
Coir items from coconut husks
24
Asbestos
Fish processing and packing
Non-polluting Heat treatment
Metal caps containers etc
25
Basic chemicals
Flakes from rejected PET bottle
Insulation /coated papers
Shoe brush and wire brush
26
Cement
Foam manufacturing
Leather foot wear /products
Medical oxygen
27
Chlorates, per-chlorates & peroxides
Food and food processing
Blending of Lubricating oil, greases
Organic and inorganic nutrients
28
Chlorine, fluorine, bromine, iodine
Forging of ferrous and non-ferrous
Pasted veneers
Organic manure
29
Dyes and Dye-Intermediates
Formulation/pelletization of camphor tablets etc
Oil mill Ghani
Packing of powdered milk
30
Health-care Establishment
Glass ceramics, earthen potteries and tile
Packing materials
Paper pins and u clips
31
Hotels (Big)
Gravure printing, digital printing on flex,
Phenyl/toilet cleaner
Repairing of electric motors /generators
32
Lead acid battery -recyclers
Heat treatment using oil fired furnace
Polythene and plastic products
Rope (plastic and cotton)
33
Waste electrical and electronic recyclers
Hot mix plants
Poultry, Hatchery and Piggery
Scientific and mathematical instruments
34
Glue and gelatin
Ice cream
Power looms (without dye and bleaching)
Solar module non-conventional energy apparatus
35
Mining and ore beneficiation
Industry or processes involving foundry operations
Puffed rice (muri) (gas or electrical heating)
Solar power generation through solar photovoltaic cell, wind power and mini hydel power (less than 25 MW)
36
Nuclear power plant
Iodized salt from crude/ raw salt
Ready mix cement concrete
Surgical and medical products assembling
37
Pesticides
Jute processing without dyeing
Reprocessing of waste cotton
38
Photographic film /chemicals
large Bakery and confectionery
Rice mill (Rice hullers only)
39
Yarn / Textile processing
Transformer repairing/ manufacturing
Rolling mill (gas fired) and cold rolling mill
40
Chlor Alkali
Tyres and tubes vulcanization/ hot retread
Rubber goods (gas operated baby boiler)
41
Ship Breaking
Vegetable oil manufacturing
Saw mills
42
Oil and gas extraction
Wire drawing and wire netting
Soap manufacturing
43
Metal surface treatment
Large Cotton spinning and weaving
Spice Blending
44
Tanneries
Lime manufacturing (using lime kiln)
Spice grinding
45
Ports /harbor/jetties
Liquid floor cleaner, black phenyl
Steel furniture
46
Synthetic fibers
Manufacturing of glass
Grains processing
47
Thermal Power Plants
Manufacturing of mirror from sheet glass
Tyres /tube retreating
48
Slaughter house
Manufacturing of mosquito repellent coil
Chilling /ice plant
49
Aluminium Smelter
Manufacturing of Starch/Sago
CO2 recovery
50
Copper Smelter
Mechanized laundry using oil fired boiler
Distilled water
51
Fertilizer (basic)
Medium scale Hotels
Small Hotels
52
Integrated Iron & Steel
Modular wooden furniture
Optical lenses
53
Pulp & Paper (bleaching)
New highway construction project
Mineralized water
54
Zinc Smelter
Non-alcoholic beverages(soft drink)
Tamarind powder
55
Oil Refinery
Paint blending and mixing (Ball mill)
Marble stone
56
Petrochemicals
Paints and varnishes (mixing and blending)
Emery powder
57
Pharmaceuticals
Parboiled Rice Mills
Fly ash export
58
Pulp & Paper (Large-Agro + wood)
Pharmaceutical formulation
Mineral stack yard
59
Distillery
Ply-board manufacturing
Oil and gas transportation pipeline
60
Railway locomotive work shop/ service centers
Potable alcohol ( IMFL) by blending
Seasoning of wood
61
Printing ink manufacturing
Synthetic detergent
62
Printing or etching of glass sheet
Tea processing
63
Printing press
Pulverization of bamboo
64
Producer gas plant
65
Recyclers – used oils
66
Re-cyclers – waste oils
67
Recycling – Paint and ink Sludge
68
Reprocessing of waste plastic /PVC
69
Rolling mill (oil or coal fired)
70
Silica gel
71
Silk /saree screen printing
72
Spray painting
73
Steel and steel products with furnaces
74
Stone crushers
75
Surgical and medical products (latex)
76
Synthetic detergents and soaps
77
Synthetic resins
78
Synthetic rubber excluding molding
79
Teflon based products
80
Thermocol manufacturing (with boiler)
81
Thermometer
82
Tobacco products including cigarettes
83
Tooth powder, toothpaste, talcum powder