Delhi Pollution Control Committee

Delhi Pollution Control Committee - DPCC Consent

The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is a governing body that issues consent to establish (CTE) and consent to operate (CTO) permissions to industries and manufacturing units in the NCT of Delhi.

The DPCC coordinates with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), StatePollution Control Boards and other committees to ensure that public health and environment are protected.

The Role of Delhi Pollution Control Committee

Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) is a body constituted under Section 4 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. It has been designated as the competent authority to control pollution in NCT of Delhi under the said act. Consequently, DPCC has been vested with all powers and functions under Sections 5 and 7 of the Act. The main objectives are:

Prevent and control water pollution;
Prevent and control air pollution;
To prevent and control noise pollution;
Protect the environment from pollution caused by hazardous substances;
To provide for removal of environmental pollutants from sewage, trade effluents etc.;
Provide for treatment, disposal or processing of wastes;
To provide for setting up common effluent treatment plants etc.;
Development of infrastructure facilities for conservation of water resources.

Consent To Establish (CTE) and Consent To Operate (CTO)

Consent to Establish (CTE) is the permission granted to the industry or unit for establishing or commissioning an industry/unit in a certain area. The consent is given by the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), based on the pollution potential of the industry and its location. The consent to establish is issued under Section 21 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

Consent to Operate (CTO) is the permission granted by SPCB to operate an industry/unit after it has complied with all the necessary norms and standards as specified under various relevant Acts/Rules. The consent to operate is issued under Section 25 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.

DPCC Categories Classification

The Department of Pollution Control and Conservation (DPCC) is the governing body that issues licenses to all industrial units in Delhi. The DPCC categorises industries as Red, Orange, Green or White based on their pollution load. In order to obtain a license to operate, industries must obtain consent to establish and consent to operate. Industries are classified under 4 heads:

Red category: These are the most polluting industries and require complete shutdown by 31 December 2015, unless they voluntarily decide to shut down earlier.
Orange category: These are industries that have been identified as highly polluting. And they have been given time till 31 March 2016 to shift outside Delhi to a non-conforming area under the Master Plan for Delhi 2021 or adopt best available technologies in order to reduce pollution load.
Green category: Industries in this category can continue their operations provided they adhere to the norms specified by DPCC.
White category: These are low polluting units that do not require any license from DPCC. However, they need registration with DPCC as per Air (Prevention Control of Pollution) Act 1981 and Water (Prevention Control of Pollution) Act 1974.