The Punjab Pollution Control Board (PPCB) on November 24, 2025, notified regarding the harmonization of the classification of left-out sectors under White category.
The following has been stated namely: -
• It has adopted the harmonised industrial-sector classification framework recommended by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), and issued orders to classify previously “left-out” or undefined sectors. After review by a special committee, PPCB has placed several warehouses (with built-up areas < 20,000 m² and wastewater generation < 10 KLD), and other low-impact units under the “White Category” — indicating they are considered environmentally non-polluting under prescribed conditions.
• Sectors not meeting those conditions (e.g., large warehouses, malls, educational institutions, complexes, or units outside industrial estates) will now be treated under standard building-construction or other appropriate categories, and may require environmental clearance or consent as applicable.
• The harmonisation aims to streamline regulatory clarity: White-category units now benefit from simplified compliance (often only intimation instead of full Consent to Operate), reducing the burden for low-impact businesses and encouraging better Ease of Doing Business while safeguarding environmental oversight.
• This update underscores PPCB’s commitment to rational, pollution-potential-based classification rather than blanket categorizations, improving transparency and uniformity across sectors previously left unspecified.
[Notification no. - SEE(HQ-2)/F.no.10/2025/38985-39003]
