Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change Introduces New Regulations for Low-Polluting Industries and Projects Under 25 MW

Posted On - 4 December, 2024 • By - King Stubb & Kasiva

Introduction

In a bid to streamline industrial operations and reduce the burden of regulatory compliance, the Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has exempted certain categories of industrial plants from the provisions of Section 21 of the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.[1] This exemption, however, is subject to certain conditions and adherence to the necessary standard operating procedures.  

Explanation (Key Points)

  1. Exempted Categories: The exempted categories include industrial plants with a pollution index score of up to 20, as listed in the Schedule to the notification. These plants are required to inform the State Pollution Control Boards or the Pollution Control Committees in writing. Additionally, plants that have obtained prior environmental clearance as per the MoEFCC notification of 14th September 2006 are also exempted.  
  2. Standard Operating Procedures: The MoEFCC may issue standard operating procedures to streamline the implementation of the new regulations, ensuring clarity and ease of compliance for industries.  
  3. Schedule of Industries: The Schedule to the notification lists various industries with a pollution index score of up to 20. These include:
    • Assembly, repair, and servicing of air coolers and air conditioners.
    • Assembly of bicycles, baby carriages, and other small non-motorized vehicles.
    • Bailing of waste papers using hydraulic presses.
    • Production of bio-fertilizers and bio-pesticides without using inorganic chemicals.
    • Manufacturing of biscuit trays from rolled PVC sheets using automatic vacuum forming machines.
    • Blending and packaging of tea.
    • Printing block making without foundry, excluding wooden block making.
    • Chalk making from Plaster of Paris using sun drying or electric ovens, excluding the use of boilers.
    • Production of compressed oxygen gas from crude liquid oxygen without the use of solvents, by maintaining pressure and temperature for the separation of other gases.
  4. Additional Exemptions: The regulations also provide exemptions for:
    • Used Cooking Oil Collection (UCO) centers.
    • Household bio-digesters and gobar-gas plants based on biodegradable waste.
    • CBG plants that produce FOM and LFOM as byproducts, utilizing them as fertilizers or manures on land, without discharging any wastewater.

Conclusion

The new regulations introduced by the MoEFCC aim to promote sustainable industrial development by exempting low-polluting industries from certain regulatory requirements. This move is expected to reduce the compliance burden on these industries, encouraging economic growth while maintaining environmental sustainability. However, it is crucial for industries to adhere to the necessary conditions and standard operating procedures to ensure that the exemptions are implemented effectively.

[1] https://docs.google.com/viewerng/viewer?url=https://www.eqmagpro.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/doc20241114434301_compressed.pdf&hl=en