Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board | Process,fee & docs

Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board functions as the central authority for regulating environmental protection. It protects the environment under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB), Government of India. It is important for legal operations that certify that industries are following the state's soil, water, and air safety measures.

The Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board registration is an essential process for an industrial establishment. Occupiers should get a pollution NOC in Himachal Pradesh before commencing operational activities.

Professional Utilities assist in documentation, application registration, form filling, compliance checks, and coordination with HPSPCB. Occupiers can obtain NOCs and follow the rules stated by the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board to avoid any legal cases and penalties.

Occupiers must submit Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board registration documents through the HPSPCB portal in PDF format form and each document should not exceed 5 MB. Here is the list of necessary documents:

Consent to Establish (CTE)

• Land ownership documents like rent agreement, land deed, receipt porcha, lease document, etc.
• Gross Capital Investment Certificate as a self-certified undertaking
• Site or layout plan with a road map (self-certified)
• Detailed Project Report (Solid Waste Management Plan, Manufacturing Process, List of Machinery and Raw Materials)
• Aadhaar and PAN Card
• Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report
• Fire Safety NOC
• Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management Plan
• Water and Power Supply Details

Consent to Operate (CTO)

• Self-certified site plan/layout with road map/route map
• Consent to Establish or copy in case of new Consent to Operate applications
• Test reports for effluent and emissions done within the last year

Note: Documents should be signed and stamped by the applicant or authorised signatory.

The Pollution Control Board registration fees in Himachal Pradesh (HPSPCB) are based on the industrial pollution category and the capital investment in plant and machinery installation.

The table given below shows the government fees for obtaining consent from the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board:

The following table given below represents the professional fees for HPSPCB Registration:

Industries can apply for CTE/CTO from the Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board by contacting Professional Utilities.

The following is the procedure for getting a consent certificate

• Solid Waste Management Authorisation: Under the Air and Water Acts, the Environment Protection Act, and other regulations, the HPSPCB grants authorization for the management of Waste.
• Plastic Waste Management Authorisation: The board is responsible for providing authorisation related to the plastic waste management of PIBOs and plastic waste processors.
• EPR Authorisation: under the E-Waste Management Rules and the Battery Waste Management Rule, 2022, and the Plastic Waste Management, 2016, the producers, importers, and brand owners (PIBOs) of the product who sell their products on a pan-India basis are required to obtain EPR authorisation from the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
• Construction and Demolition (C&D) Waste Management Authorisation: The C&D Waste Management Rules, 2016 govern the management of construction and demolition waste. The HPSPCB must grant permission to each C&D Waste Processing facility operating in the state before requiring the annual report to be submitted.
• Hazardous Waste Management Authorisation: HPSPCB issues an authorisation to entities engaged in the generation, collection, storage, transportation, treatment, use/ processing, or disposal of hazardous wastes in the state.

The validity period for the Consent to Establish is a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years. Permission to operate is issued for the balance of the current fiscal year and needs to be renewed on a regular basis after that, the CTO is only available for the last five months of the current fiscal year and needs to be renewed sporadically after that.

After obtaining a Pollution NOC, especially Consent to Establish or Consent to Operate, from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board, occupiers must strictly follow ongoing environmental and operational compliance rules. Read the following rules and regulations listed below:

• Regularly maintain records of effluents, emissions, and waste disposal.
• Submit Form V (Environmental Statement) annually under the Environmental Protection Act 1986.
• Get test reports for 6-month effluent quality from the NABL-accredited labs and submit to HPSPCB.
• Conduct ambient air quality monitoring, if required by consent conditions.
• Submit stack emission reports for the Red category industry quarterly.
• File annual return or renewal application one month before CTO expires.
• Occupiers must apply for CTE from HPSPCB in case of any expansion, capacity addition, or product change.

All industries holding CTO from HPSPCB must file FORM V till 30 September each year by detailing effluent generated, treated, and disposed of, along with the air emissions, solid waste, and hazardous waste data. If the occupier fails to submit Form V, they have to pay penalties under EPA 1986 in addition to CTO renewal rejection.

Businesses may face problems in getting approval for a pollution NOC in Himachal Pradesh. Here are the common challenges in obtaining a Pollution NOC in Himachal Pradesh:

• Due to strict location policies and ecological safeguarding norms, setting up units near forests, water streams, or eco-sensitive zones often leads to consent rejections or re-evaluation by the HPSPCB.
• While applying for consent, submitting incomplete or mismatched documents can cause major processing delays. Therefore, gathering detailed project reports and manufacturing process flow charts requires specialized environmental engineering knowledge.
• The entire registration process, including review, on-site inspection, and verification by HPSPCB, typically takes around 30-60 days for CTE and 30-45 days for post-inspection for CTO, which can extend project timelines if not planned.
• Misclassifying the industrial category can affect fee slabs, validity period, and renewal timeline inaccurately.

Late renewal may result in penalties and orders to cease operations. Form V (Environment Statement) is mandatory annually under the EP Act 1986 and must be submitted along with the renewal application.