The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has proposed a revised methodology for classifying industrial sectors and other polluting activities. This Draft Classification of Industrial Sectors into Red, Orange, Green and White Categories: A Tool for Progressive Environmental Management was published on 24th July, 2023. The initial methodology, developed in 2016, categorized industries as Red, Orange, Green, and White, with the aim of achieving uniformity and objectivity in pollution control measures. The revised classification methodology seeks to encourage industries to shift towards less polluting practices and embrace cleaner technology options, ultimately leading to an improvement in their environmental performance. The proposed changes address various issues, including the scoring methodology and the formula for computing the pollution index. Additionally, the revised methodology considers weightages assigned to the scale of operations and gives due consideration to the adoption of cleaner technologies and fuels.
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