PANAJI
As many as 419 sectors-cum-industries are undergoing reclassification under Red, Orange, White, Green and Blue categories in Goa, with the introduction of “Blue” as a new category for so-called “essential environmental services” by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has initiated the exercise to prepare fresh inventory, which would be submitted to the Central authority by June 30 and would be updated annually, thereafter. Pending reclassification, the Board has kept on hold applications for grant of Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate.
“The revised sectors/sub sectors classified as Red, Orange, White, Green and Blue, shall be used for consent management, inventorization of units under different categories, sitting criteria, deciding environmental surveillance frequency, calculation of environmental compensation, etc as per the guidelines issued time to time,” the Board approved during its recent meeting.
The Board has said that wherever Consent to Establish is granted but Consent to Operate is pending, the same would be accorded based on the new classification.
According to CPCB, the new classification is based on “precautionary principle” or potential of industries to pollute the environment. As per the revised methodology, the category of the sector is decided based on the following ranges of Pollution Index: Red: PI> 80; Orange: 55≤PI<80; Green: 25.
“The new category of the EES will be termed “Blue Category sector” and as an incentive for the essential services an additional two years validity for consent to operate (as per the Pollution Index) will be provided,” CPCB had said in a letter to all the States in April.
The category includes those services engaged in maintaining landfills or bio-mining. The category also includes waste to energy plants and some compressed biogas plants -- essentially any utility required for management of environmental concerns arising from domestic/household activities which otherwise will have large littering potential.
Blue category industries are required to meet all prescribed environmental norms/rules notified from time to time and the pollution index shall continue to be calculated as per the formula, CPCB said.
Meanwhile, the State pollution Board has decided to constitute a committee to evaluate the applications of the units for incentives due to adopting measures resulting in better environmental performance and reduction in Pollution Index score.
