New Delhi, Nov 13 (PTI) Low-impact industrial plants and those with prior environmental clearances will no longer need permission from the state pollution control boards to establish or operate, according to a new notification issued by the Centre.
The notification, issued on Tuesday, aims at reducing compliance burdens and promoting ease of doing business.
Under the new rules, industrial plants with a "pollution index score" of 20 or below, as well as those with prior environmental clearances under a 2006 environment ministry notification, are exempt from requiring state-level permissions.
However, these plants must still notify their respective State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) or Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) in writing about their operations.
The exempted industries span a range of low-impact manufacturing and assembly operations, including the assembly of air coolers, air-conditioners, bicycles, baby carriages and non-motorised vehicles, bio-fertiliser and bio-pesticides production without inorganic chemicals, blending and packing of tea, manufacturing of fly ash bricks and blocks, solar power generation through photovoltaic cells and mini hydel power plants (under 25 MW), repair and servicing units for diesel pumps, electric motors and generators (dry mechanical processes), medical oxygen production, manufacturing of household items like rope (plastic and cotton), scientific and mathematical instruments, flavoured betel nuts and chalk from plaster of Paris (sun-drying only).
Other activities exempt under the notification include the assembly of electronic items, packing of powdered milk, manufacturing of coir items, rope-making and used cooking oil collection centres.