The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on November 24, 2025, issued clarification regarding classification of Warehouses/malls/educational institutions/shopping complexes etc.
The earlier CPCB directions issued on February 12, 2025, March 25, 2025, and the corrigendum dated November 11, 2025—regarding harmonized classification of industrial sectors under Red, Orange, Green, White, and Blue categories—were circulated by PPCB for adoption in supersession of previous classifications. A Committee headed by the Member Secretary was also constituted to categorize left-out sectors.
Based on the Committee’s recommendations, PPCB has clarified that warehouses or godowns (with no manufacturing activity) having a built-up area below 20,000 m², wastewater generation under 10 KLD, and located within industrial estates or area development projects under the EIA Notification, 2006, are to be classified under the White Category, provided they install suitable effluent treatment and disposal systems.
All other warehouses, along with malls, educational institutions, and shopping complexes not covered by the above criteria, will fall under CPCB’s Category “10: Building Construction Projects,” unless categorized elsewhere. Such cases must be assessed for consent requirements as per CPCB classification and applicable provisions of the EIA Notification, 2006, without the need for separate categorization.
[Notification No. SEE(HQ-2)/F.no.10/2025/38951-969]
