Centre eases consent rules under air, water laws

New Delhi: The Union government on Wednesday revised the Uniform Consent Guidelines framed under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, introducing changes that allow industrial operating permissions to remain in force until they are withdrawn.

According to an official statement, the amendments are intended to simplify and standardise the consent framework for industries across all states and Union territories. A key change concerns the duration of the Consent to Operate. Under the revised norms, a CTO will continue to be valid once issued, unless it is cancelled by the competent authority.

The statement clarified that compliance with environmental norms will still be checked through regular inspections, and permissions may be withdrawn in the event of violations. “Under the amended guidelines, CTO, once granted, will remain valid until it is cancelled,” the statement said.

The government said the change removes the requirement for repeated renewals, cuts paperwork and lowers the compliance burden for industrial units, while allowing uninterrupted operations. It also noted that the time limit for processing consent applications for Red Category industries has been reduced from 120 days to 90 days. Delays and uncertainty linked to renewal of operating consent are expected to be reduced as a result.

Another reform introduced through the amendments is the system of Consolidated Consent and Authorisation. State Pollution Control Boards are now permitted to accept a single application and grant integrated approvals covering consents under the Air and Water Acts, along with permissions under different Waste Management Rules. The statement said this integration shortens approval timelines while retaining provisions related to monitoring, compliance and cancellation.

The revised guidelines also permit registered environmental auditors, certified under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, to carry out site inspections and compliance verification in addition to checks by SPCB officials. This measure is expected to strengthen verification and enable boards to focus attention on high-risk sectors.

Special arrangements have been provided for micro and small enterprises situated in notified industrial estates or areas. For these units, Consent to Establish will be treated as granted upon submission of a self-certified application, since the land has already undergone environmental assessment.

The amendments further replace fixed minimum-distance siting norms with site-specific environmental evaluation, allowing authorities to prescribe safeguards based on local conditions such as proximity to water bodies, habitations, monuments and ecologically sensitive zones.

States and Union territories have also been given the option to charge a one-time CTO fee for periods ranging from five to 25 years. A uniform definition of “capital investment” has been added in Schedule II to ensure consistency in fee calculations.

Safeguards allowing refusal or cancellation of consent in cases of non-compliance, environmental harm or operation in prohibited locations remain unchanged. The government said the updated framework seeks to align streamlined approvals with environmental oversight through continuous monitoring and a nationally uniform consent system.