PANAJI
In a major reform aimed at cutting procedural delays for industries, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) is now empowered to grant Uniform Consent under the Air and Water Act, with Consent to Operate (CTO) set to remain valid indefinitely unless cancelled for violations.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) last month notified the amended Uniform Consent Guidelines under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, under which CTO will continue without a fixed expiry date and remain in force unless revoked for violations.
Under the earlier system, CTO was granted for shorter, fixed validity periods -- typically three to five years depending on whether an industry fell under Red, Orange or Green categories. Units were required to seek renewals before expiry, undergo inspections, submit compliance documents and pay fees each time. This often resulted in repetitive paperwork, delays and operational uncertainty if renewals were not processed on time.
With the amended guidelines, the need for periodic renewals has been removed. Once granted, CTO will continue unless cancelled for non-compliance.
GSPCB officials said environmental safeguards remain intact, with periodic inspections and enforcement continuing as before. Consent can be revoked in cases of violations, environmental damage or breach of stipulated conditions.
The revised framework aims to establish a uniform national mechanism for granting, refusing or cancelling Consent to Establish (CTE) and CTO, ensuring greater consistency and transparency across States and Union Territories. A key reform is the provision for Consolidated Consent and Authorisation, enabling Pollution Control Boards to process a single application covering approvals under the Air and Water Acts along with authorisations under various Waste Management Rules.
The processing time for Red Category industries has been reduced from 120 days to 90 days. Registered Environmental Auditors certified under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, will also be permitted to conduct site inspections and verify compliance alongside Board officials, allowing authorities to focus more on high-risk sectors.
Special provisions have been introduced for Micro and Small Enterprises in notified industrial estates, where Consent to Establish will be deemed granted upon submission of a self-certified application. The amendments also allow States to prescribe a one-time CTO fee for 5 to 25 years and introduce a uniform definition of ‘capital investment’ to streamline fee assessment.
The Ministry, in consultation with State Pollution Control Boards, will launch a dedicated online portal for processing consent applications, inspections, refusals and cancellations. Until then, the existing application process will continue.
