Context:

According to recent draft notifications from the Ministry of Environment, white-category industries will no longer require pollution control permits.

Key Highlights 

• Industries classified as 'white category' by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) will no longer need prior permission from state pollution control boards to establish and operate under the Air Act, 1981, and Water Act, 1974. 

Changes to CTE and CTO Permits

• The 'consent to establish' (CTE) and 'consent to operate' (CTO) permits, which regulate industries discharging effluents or emitting pollutants, will no longer be required for white-category industries. 
• Additionally, the CTE permit requirement for projects already mandating prior environmental clearance (EC) is proposed for removal. 
• Instead, the conditions typically associated with the CTE permit could be integrated into the environment clearance issued by the Ministry of Environment.

Self-Declaration Requirement

• While exempt from CTE and CTO, white category industries will still be required to inform state pollution control boards about their operations through self-declarations. 
• This replaces the previous notification system under the Water Act, of 1974, and Air Act, of 1981.

Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

• It is a statutory organization, established in September 1974 under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and later given authority under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

Primary Objectives:

• Promote cleanliness of streams and wells by preventing, controlling, and abating water pollution.
• Improve air quality and prevent, control, or abate air pollution in the country.

About the White Category Industries

• The white category of industries pertains to those industrial sectors that are practically non-polluting, such as Wind and solar power projects, air cooler assembly, mini hydel power (less than 25 MW), etc are examples of activities classified under the white category.  
• Following the CPCB's 2016 recategorization, industrial sectors with a Pollution Index (PI) score of up to 20 fall under this category. 
• The PI, ranging from 0 to 100, measures the potential pollution impact of an industrial sector.

Range of the Pollution Index ‘for the categorization of industrial sectors: