GURGAON: When the pollution control board of Gurgaon went into revamp mode last year, the industrial community

criticized many of the new measures introduced. Now, after months of lobbying, the pollution control norms have finally been relaxed, much to the relief of Gurgaon's small-scale entrepreneurs who are required to renew their pollution NOCs periodically.

In their revised form, the consent management rules of the pollution control board are less stringent and more simplified, according to local industrial associations. For one thing, consent-to-operate certificates, which had to be obtained annually, can now be issued for a period of up to three years, depending on the category the applicant belongs to.

Also, the late application fee, which has been raised to around 50% of the overall dues last year, can now be waived off for specific periods. "Non-polluting industries, which are classified in the green category according to the pollution control norms, are now exempt from this requirement of getting consent certificates," said a representative of the Gurgaon Industrial Association (GIA).

The announcement was made on the GIA campuses by senior pollution department officials, who said the changes were being introduced with the 'intent of working in a friendly framework with the industry'. "We hail the pollution control board initiative for further relaxing the consent management rules. I would also suggest that consent certificates be released online for quick disposal," said V P Bajaj, president, GIA.

The pollution control board has also revised its classification system for polluting and non-polluting industries. The colour-coded categories of red, orange and green - for highly-, moderately-, or non-polluting industries respectively - have been subjected to a slight rejig, while the selection criteria have been relaxed.

