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 < 5MVA) | 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 |
