BLUE CATEGORY OF INDUSTRIES - ECONOMY
NEWS: Recently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has carved a new category of industries called the ‘blue category’ industries based on the Essential Environmental Services (EES) for managing the pollution due to anthropogenic activities.
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has included the highly polluting ‘waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration’ as a part of its revised scheme in ‘blue category’ industries.
• Until recently, the waste-to-energy incineration industries were classified by the CPCB as a ‘red category’.
WHAT’S IN THE NEWS?
What are Essential Environmental Services (EES)?
1. Definition:
• Essential Environmental Services refer to those facilities or services that are crucial for controlling, reducing, and mitigating pollution caused by both domestic and industrial activities.
• These services are vital to maintaining environmental sustainability and public health by processing waste and emissions responsibly.
Blue Category in Revised Industrial Classification (2025)
1. Introduction to the “Blue Category” (EES Sector):
• In the 2025 revised classification, industries providing Essential Environmental Services (EES) have been grouped under a newly introduced “Blue Category.”
• These include sectors that handle or treat waste or pollutants, contributing to environmental clean-up rather than pollution generation.
2. Incentive for Blue Category Sectors:
• As a regulatory incentive, industries in the Blue Category are granted an additional 2 years validity in their Consent to Operate (CTO) licenses.
• This is based on their Pollution Index (PI) score and acknowledges their role in environmental management.
Principle Behind Industrial Categorisation
1. Precautionary Principle:
• The classification is based on the precautionary principle, where industries are assessed and categorized based on their potential to cause pollution, rather than just actual emissions.
• This forward-looking approach is meant to prevent environmental damage by imposing controls on high-risk sectors.
Pollution Index (PI) Based Sector Classification
1. Pollution Index Score Ranges:
• The Pollution Index (PI) is a composite score used to classify industries into different categories:
• Red Category: PI > 80 → Highly polluting industries
• Orange Category: PI between 55 and 80 → Moderately polluting
• Green Category: PI between 25 and 55 → Low polluting
• White Category: PI < 25 → Non-polluting or negligible pollution
Industries Included in the Blue Category (EES)
1. List of EES Industries (Total: 9):
• These industries are now recognized under the Blue Category:
• Compressed Biogas (CBG) Plants based on:
Municipal Solid Waste
Agro-residue
Energy crops, grass, weeds
• Composting Units
• Biogas Plants
• Material Recovery Facilities
• Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Plants
• Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs)
2. Exception:
• CBG Plants based on industrial or process waste are excluded from the Blue Category and continue to be categorized as Red, due to their higher pollution potential.
Background: Categorisation of Industrial Sectors (2016–2025)
1. Origin:
• The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) introduced the Pollution Index (PI) methodology in 2016 to standardize industrial categorization.
• The aim was to ensure scientific, data-driven decision-making for environmental regulation.
2. Objective:
• The categorisation serves multiple purposes:
• Facilitating decisions about industry location
• Framing inspection and monitoring norms
• Understanding pollution impacts
• Assessing public health risks
Pollution Index Calculation: Methodology
1. Water Pollutant Score (PIW):
• Assesses oxygen demand, toxic contents, and volume of wastewater generated.
• Reflects the industry’s potential to pollute water bodies.
2. Air Pollutant Score (PIA):
• Measures process emissions, fugitive emissions, and type/quantity of fuel used.
• It evaluates the air pollution potential of an industry.
3. Waste Pollutant Score (PIH):
• Evaluates the quantity and nature of waste generated (hazardous, toxic, infectious, or bulky).
• Focuses on solid and hazardous waste management risks.
Waste-to-Energy (WTE) Incineration Plants
1. How WTE Plants Work:
• WTE plants burn municipal solid waste (MSW) to generate energy.
• The heat generated is used to produce steam, which drives turbines to generate electricity.
2. Environmental Concerns:
a) High Pollution Potential:
• WTE incineration emits harmful pollutants such as:
• Sulphur oxides (SOx)
• Nitrogen oxides (NOx)
• Hydrochloric acid (HCl)
• Particulate Matter (PM)
• Dioxins and furans
• The ash (bottom and fly) generated is toxic and must be disposed of in scientific landfills.
b) Pollution Index Score:
• Previously classified as Red Category with a very high PI of 97.6.
• Despite being reclassified as Blue, WTE plants remain highly polluting.
c) "Dirty Electricity":
• WTE electricity is more polluting than coal-based power.
• Carbon emissions per unit of electricity are higher compared to traditional coal power.
d) Carcinogenic Emissions:
• A CPCB inspection found that WTE plants in Delhi emitted carcinogenic pollutants beyond permissible levels.
• These emissions included harmful dioxins and furans, known to cause long-term health damage.
e) Delhi WTE Plants Data (FY 2022–23):
• Burned 7,35,840 tons of plastic, or nearly 2000 tons per day.
• Resulted in high chloride content in Delhi’s air, worsening air pollution and respiratory health risks.
Source: https://www.downtoearth.org.in/waste/blue-washing-new-categorisation-by-cpcb-promotes-highly-polluting-incineration-industry