The central government has amended the Uniform Consent Guidelines under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, aiming to streamline environmental approvals, reduce procedural delays, and strengthen compliance across industries.
First issued last year, the guidelines provide a national framework for granting, refusing, or cancelling Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO). Officials said the amendments will enhance consistency, transparency, and accountability in consent management by State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs).
Key reforms include the Consolidated Consent and Authorisation, allowing industries to apply through a single window for approvals under the Air and Water Acts, along with authorisations under various Waste Management Rules. This integrated system is expected to reduce multiple applications, shorten approval timelines, and lower administrative burden, while maintaining strict monitoring and compliance standards.
For industries, the Consent to Operate will now remain valid until cancelled, removing the need for periodic renewals. Compliance will be ensured through inspections, and consent may be revoked in case of violations. Additionally, processing time for Red Category industries has been reduced from 120 days to 90 days.
The amendments also allow Registered Environmental Auditors, certified under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, to conduct site inspections alongside SPCB officers, helping Boards prioritize high-risk industries and strengthen enforcement.
For Micro and Small Enterprises in notified industrial areas, a deemed Consent to Establish will now be granted automatically upon submission of a self-certified application, as the environmental suitability of the land has already been assessed.
Another structural change replaces rigid minimum-distance siting norms with site-specific environmental assessments, allowing authorities to impose safeguards based on proximity to settlements, water bodies, monuments, and ecologically sensitive zones.
States and Union Territories can now set one-time Consent to Operate fees for periods ranging from 5 to 25 years, reducing repetitive fee collection. A uniform definition of ‘capital investment’ has also been introduced to standardize fee calculations across States.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change emphasized that safeguards for refusal or cancellation of consent remain for cases of non-compliance, violations, environmental damage, or operations in prohibited areas. The revised framework aims to balance ease of doing business with environmental protection through continuous monitoring, trust-based governance, and a uniform national mechanism.
