# Pollution Control Consent — CTE & CTO

> Industries and many service units need two consents from the State Pollution Control Board under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981: Consent to Establish (CTE) before setting up or expanding, and Consent to Operate (CTO) before starting production. The requirement depends on the CPCB category of the activity — red, orange, green or white. White-category activities are exempt from consent and only need to inform the Board.

Practice: Business Licences & Registrations — https://www.industax.com/services/business-licences/

The category drives everything: red-category industries (highly polluting) face the strictest scrutiny and shortest validity, orange and green categories progressively less. Some states issue combined consents and authorisations under the hazardous waste rules.

We confirm your category, prepare the application with the site plan, process flow, water balance and pollution control measures, coordinate with your environmental consultant for any monitoring data, and track renewals so operations aren't interrupted.

## Key facts

| Item | Detail |
| --- | --- |
| Law | Water Act 1974; Air Act 1981 |
| Before construction | Consent to Establish (CTE) |
| Before operations | Consent to Operate (CTO) |
| Categories | Red, orange, green, white |
| White category | Exempt from consent; intimation only |

## Who needs this

- Manufacturing units and factories
- Hospitals, hotels and large commercial buildings in some states
- Units expanding capacity or changing products

## What's included

- Category determination
- CTE and CTO applications
- Authorisations under waste rules where needed
- Renewal tracking

## Documents

- Site plan and layout
- Process flow and raw material details
- Water and wastewater balance
- Land and building documents, project cost

## Process

1. **Categorise** — Activity mapped to CPCB category.
2. **Establish** — CTE obtained before setup.
3. **Operate** — CTO obtained before production.

## FAQs

### Can I start construction without Consent to Establish?

No. For activities requiring consent, setting up or expanding the unit before CTE is an offence under the Water and Air Acts, and the Board can refuse consent or order closure.

### How is the consent fee calculated?

Usually on the capital investment of the project and its category, under a schedule set by each State Pollution Control Board.

### How long is a Consent to Operate valid?

It varies by state and category — commonly longer for green-category units and shorter for red-category units — and must be renewed before expiry.

## Official sources

- Central Pollution Control Board — EPR portals: https://cpcb.nic.in/

---
Canonical page: https://www.industax.com/services/business-licences/pollution-consent-cte-cto
Publisher: Indus Tax — CA-led tax and compliance firm (https://www.industax.com). Contact: info@industax.com, 9059139258.
This is general information, not advice for your specific facts.