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CPCB Launches 'Blue Category' to Regulate High-Pollution Incineration Industries in India.

National | Dated: 16 Apr 2025

In April 2025, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), based in New Delhi, Delhi, introduced a new category of industries termed the ‘Blue Category.’ This classification is based on Essential Environmental Services (EES) aimed at managing pollution caused by anthropogenic (human-induced) activities.

🎯 Key Highlights:

  • - Previously, Waste-to-Energy (WTE) incineration industries, which use the process of burning unsegregated Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) to produce "dirty electricity," were classified as 'Red Category' industries by CPCB.
  • - Industries under the Blue Category will be granted an additional two years of validity for their Consent to Operate (CTO), allowing them to continue operations based on their Pollution Index (PI).

💡 Other Important Facts:

  • (i) The new classification is based on the 'precautionary principle,' meaning industries are assessed for their potential to pollute the environment, even before actual damage occurs.
  • (ii) Industries producing minimal hazardous waste will also be classified under the Blue Category.
  • (iii) This includes sectors such as composting, Compressed Biogas (CBG) plants, Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs), and Material Recovery Facilities (MRF). Despite having a high Pollution Index (PI) of 97.6, Waste-to-Energy (WTE) plants have been included in the Blue Category due to the environmental services they provide.

📚 Test Your Knowledge:

What is the name of the category recently introduced by CPCB to regulate industries with potential to pollute but offering essential environmental services?

Correct Answer: Blue Category

🚀 Quick Recap:

About Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)

  • Chairman: Amandeep Garg
  • Headquarter : New Delhi