Full Text
REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
The Gazette of India
CG-DL-E-27012026-269608
EXTRAORDINARY
PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (i)
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
No. 61]
NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, JANUARY 27, 2026/MAGHA 7,1947
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, the 23rd January, 2026
G.S.R. 62(E). In exercise of the powers conferred by section 21A of the Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act, 1981 (14 of 1981), the Central Government, after consultation with Central Pollution Control Board,
hereby makes the following amendments in the guidelines of the Government of India, Ministry of Environment, Forest
and Climate Change published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (i), vide number
G.S.R. 84(E), dated 29th January, 2025, (hereinafter referred to as the said guidelines), namely:-
1. Short title and commencement. – (1) These guidelines may be called the Control of Air Pollution (Grant, Refusal or
Cancellation of Consent) Amendment Guidelines, 2026.
(2) They shall come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette.
2. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 2,-
(i) in sub-paragraph (1), after clause (b), following clause shall be inserted, namely: -
"(ba) 'Registered Environment Auditor', means Environment Auditor as defined under the Environment Audit Rules,
2025;";
(ii) after clause (e), the following clause shall be inserted, namely: -
"(ea) 'online portal', means the unified consent and authorization management portal;";
(iii) for sub-paragraph (i), the following sub-paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"(2) The words and expression used but not defined in these guidelines and defined in the Act or rules shall have the
meaning respectively assigned to them in Act and rules."
3. In the said guidelines, for paragraph 3, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"3. Form of application for consent and fees. - Every application for consent to establish or operate an industrial plant
under section 21 of the Act shall be made in the Form set out under the First Schedule and shall contain the particulars
of the industrial plant and such other particulars as set out in the Form and also shall be accompanied by the fee as
specified by state government or Union territory Administration, as the case may be in accordance with provisions of
para 5 of these guidelines.";
4. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 4, for sub-paragraph (3), the following sub-paragraph shall be substituted,
namely:-
"(3) Once granted, the consent to operate shall continue to remain valid till it is cancelled in accordance with the
provisions of paragraph 13 of these guidelines";
5. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 5, -
(i) for sub-paragraph (1), the following sub-paragraph shall be substituted, namely:-
"(1) The State Government or Union territory Administration may determine one-time fee for consent to operate for
any duration of period of 5 to 25 years as may be applied for by the Project Proponent:
Provided that the Project Proponent shall have to pay such fee for further extension of period from 5 to 25 years,
after the expiry of such period for which one-time fee has been paid earlier.";
(ii) in sub-paragraph (2), for the words "the State Government", the words "the State Government in consultation with
State Board" shall be substituted.;
6. In said guidelines, for paragraph 6, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"6. Procedure for making enquiry on application for consent.-(1) On receipt of an application for consent, the State
Board may depute any of its officers to visit and inspect any place or premises under the control of the applicant or the
occupier, for verifying the correctness or otherwise of the particulars furnished in the application or for obtaining such
further particulars or information, which in the opinion of such officer are essential or the concerned Project Proponent
may engage the services of Registered Environment Auditor for visiting any place or premises under the control of the
applicant or the occupier, for verifying the correctness or otherwise of the particulars furnished in the application or for
obtaining such further particulars or information, which in the opinion of such Registered Environment Auditor are
essential.
(2) The officer of the State Board referred to in sub-paragraph (1), for that purpose, may inspect any place or premises
where solid, liquid or gaseous emission from the chimney or fugitive emissions from any location within the premises
are discharged, and such officer may require the applicant or the occupier to furnish to him any plans, specifications or
other data relating to control equipment or systems or any part thereof that he considers necessary.
(3) The Registered Environment Auditor referred to in sub-paragraph (1), for that purpose, may visit any place or
premises where solid, liquid or gaseous emission from the chimney or fugitive emissions from any location within the
premises are discharged, and such Registered Environment Auditor may require the applicant or the occupier to furnish
to him any plans, specifications or other data relating to control equipment or systems or any part thereof that he
considers necessary.
(4) The officer referred to in sub-paragraph (1) shall, before visiting any of the premises of the applicant, give notice to
the applicant of his intention to do so.
(5) The applicant shall furnish to such officer all information and provide all facilities for inspection as reasonably may
be necessary.
(6) For the purpose of enabling a State Board to perform any of its functions including the functions conferred on it by
or under this guideline, the State Board may engage Registered Environment Auditor in accordance with the
Environment Audit Rules, 2025, and its amendments from time to time.
(7) For Micro and Small units located in Industrial Estates or Industrial area duly notified by the State Government /
Union Territory Administration or the concerned local body, consent to establish shall be deemed to be granted once
the self-certified application is submitted in Form-I by the concerned Project Proponent.";
7. In the said guidelines, for paragraph 7, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely:
"7. Consolidated Consent and Authorization for Hazardous and Other Wastes: - A single-step procedure shall be adopted
for granting consent under section 21 of the Act along with authorization under various Waste Management Rules
notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as may be applicable.";
8. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 8, in sub-paragraph (1), in the Table, -
(i) against the Sl. No.1, in column (2), the words "or refusal" shall be omitted;
(ii) against the Sl No.3 and entries relating thereto, the following Sl. No. and entries shall be substituted, namely: -
+-----+--------------------------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+
| (1) | (2) | (3) | (4) | (5) |
+=====+========================================================+=====+=====+=====+
| "3 | Grant or refusal of | 90 | 60 | 30" |
| | consent to operate | | | |
| | for expansion or | | | |
| | amendment | | | |
+-----+--------------------------------------------------------+-----+-----+-----+
9. In the said guidelines, for paragraph 9, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"9. Procedure for selection of location – Specific and/or General conditions related to establishing a new industrial unit
at a location along with the appropriate environment safeguards and/ or mitigation measures, in view of site condition
on the ground shall be imposed, in the case of an industrial unit requiring Environment Clearance (EC), by the concerned
Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) at the Central /State level, and in other cases, by the concerned State Board.".
10. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 10, -
(i) for sub-paragraph (4), the following sub-paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"(4) On receipt of an application for consent, the State Board may depute any of its officers to visit and inspect any
place or premises under the control of the applicant or the occupier, for verifying the correctness or otherwise of the
particulars furnished in the application or for obtaining such further particulars or information, which in the opinion of
such officer are essential or the concerned Project Proponent may engage the services of Registered Environment
Auditor for visiting any place or premises under the control of the applicant or the occupier, for verifying the correctness
or otherwise of the particulars furnished in the application or for obtaining such further particulars or information, which
in the opinion of such Registered Environment Auditor are essential."
(ii) in sub-paragraph (5), after the words, brackets and figure" sub-paragraph (4)", the words "by the officer deputed by
the State Board or by the Registered Environment Auditor engaged by the Project Proponent, as the case may be" shall
be inserted.
(iii) after sub-paragraph (6), the following sub-paragraph shall be inserted, namely: -
"(7) For Micro and Small units located in Industrial Estates or Industrial area duly notified by the State Government or
Union territory Administration or the concerned local body, consent to establish shall be deemed to be granted once the
self-certified application is submitted in Form-I by the concerned Project Proponent.".
11. In the said guidelines, in paragraph 11, -
(i) for sub-paragraph (3), the following sub-paragraph shall be substituted, namely: -
"(3) On receipt of an application for consent, the State Board may depute any of its officers to visit and inspect any
place or premises under the control of the applicant or the occupier, for verifying the correctness or otherwise of the
particulars furnished in the application or for obtaining such further particulars or information, which in the opinion of
such officer are essential or the concerned Project Proponent may engage the services of Registered Environment
Auditor for visiting any place or premises under the control of the applicant or the occupier, for verifying the correctness
or otherwise of the particulars furnished in the application or for obtaining such further particulars or information, which
in the opinion of such Registered Environment Auditor are essential.";
(ii) in sub-paragraph (4), after the words, brackets and figure" sub-paragraph (3)", the words "by the officer deputed by
the State Board or by the Registered Environment Auditor engaged by the Project Proponent, as the case may be" shall
be inserted.
(iii) sub- paragraph (6) shall be omitted.
12. In the said guidelines, paragraph 12 shall be omitted.
13. In said guidelines, in paragraph 13,-
(i) in sub-paragraph (1), the words "or refuse the renewal of the consent expiry", shall be omitted.
(ii) in sub-paragraph (2), in clause (ix), for the words “non-payment of any fee,”, the words “non-payment of any
prescribed fee," shall be substituted.
14. In said guidelines, for paragraph 16, the following paragraph shall be substituted, namely:-
"16. Portal for implementation of these guidelines. -(1) The Central Board, in consultation with the State Boards, shall
develop an online portal for the purposes of these guidelines, preferably within six months, and not later than one year
from the date of notification of these guidelines.
(2) After the portal is operational, all applications for grant of consent under section 21 of the Act, verification, site
inspection, refusal or cancellation, shall be processed and disposed of only through such portal, in all states and union
territories.
(3) Till the portal becomes operational, applications for grant of consent under section 21 of the Act, including
verification, site inspection, refusal or cancellation may be processed through the existing arrangement in accordance
with these guidelines.
(4) The portal shall act as a single point data repository with respect to management and implementation of these
guidelines.
(5) The Central Board may charge five per cent of the fee received with applications for consent to establish and operate,
as service fee which shall be credited to the fund of the Central Pollution Control Board in accordance with the section
33 of the Act.".
15. In said guidelines, in FIRST SCHEDULE,-
(i) in "FORM II", the words "or renewal of consent" shall be omitted.
(ii) in PART A: GENERAL, against S. No. 1.2, for the entries "Expansion/Renewal/ Validity Extension/ Transfer",
the entries "Expansion/ Transfer", shall be substituted.
(iii) under sub-heading “Mandatory Documents to be enclosed for grant of Consent to Operate", in paragraph 3,
the words " and renewal" shall be omitted.
16. In said guidelines, in THE SECOND SCHEDULE,-
(i) in paragraph A, in sub-paragraph 1, after clause (g) the following Note shall be inserted, namely: -
"Note: -" Capital Investment" means the investment made on fixed assets i.e. Land, Buildings including Staff Quarters,
Guest House etc. within industrial premises (or) townships, plants and machinery or equipment including the cost of
investment on pollution control without depreciation. The running Operation and Maintenance cost and other revenue
expenditure shall not be included under this head. In case of an industry operating in lease land and / or building or any
other assets, ten times the annual lease value is to be taken as equivalent as land cost in Capital Investment (or) Guidance
Value of property / land, whichever is higher.”.
(ii) in paragraph C, for the words, figures and brackets "of consent as given in para 4(3)" the words, brackets and figures
"in accordance with sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 5 of these guidelines.".
[F. No. Q-15012/2/2022-CPW/e-240803]
NEELESH KUMAR SAH, Jt. Secy.
Note:- The principal guidelines was published in Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section
vide number G.S.R 84 (E), dated 29th January, 2025.
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.