The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has exempted Common Effluent Treatment Plants (CETPs) from the requirement of prior environmental clearance, a move aimed at speeding up the creation of pollution control facilities while maintaining environmental safeguards, as per the statement of The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
The exemption is subject to the implementation of prescribed safety measures and compliance with uniform consent guidelines and environmental rules governing the standards, management and operation of CETPs, which came into force on September 1, 2025. The ministry said the reform is intended to help set up CETPs more quickly, strengthen compliance and improve environmental outcomes.
The decision is focused on accelerating the establishment of CETPs across industrial clusters without weakening regulatory oversight. CETPs are shared facilities that treat wastewater generated by groups of industries, especially small and medium enterprises that may not have the resources to install individual treatment systems.
These plants help reduce pollution by allowing centralised treatment, proper management and regular monitoring of industrial wastewater. They are not considered sources of pollution themselves. The Central Pollution Control Board has classified CETPs as essential environmental services under a category meant to be promoted for environmental protection.
The ministry noted that the current number and capacity of CETPs in the country are far below what is needed to manage wastewater from expanding industrial clusters. Delays in setting up these plants have often led to untreated or poorly treated wastewater entering the environment.
After a detailed review by expert committees, the ministry found that CETPs are already regulated under existing pollution control laws. These include approvals to establish and operate, regular inspections, continuous online monitoring and mandatory reporting. In this context, the requirement for a separate environmental clearance was seen as repetitive and a cause of avoidable delays.
Under the revised framework, CETPs will continue to be regulated by State Pollution Control Boards and Pollution Control Committees under water and air pollution laws. The reform also introduces stronger safeguards, including the mandatory use of closed pipelines to carry wastewater, a ban on using treated wastewater for farming, and continuous online monitoring with real-time data shared with central and state pollution control authorities.
The ministry said these measures will help prevent illegal discharge, improve tracking and ensure constant oversight to protect the environment and public health.
The decision followed an expert-led and consultative process. A draft notification was placed in the public domain for 60 days, and feedback from stakeholders was reviewed before the changes were finalised. The revised rules will apply to future projects.
The ministry said faster development of CETPs is expected to increase treatment capacity, improve compliance among industries and support better water management through controlled reuse of treated wastewater. Centralised treatment is also expected to allow more effective monitoring and professional operation.
The government said the reform reflects its commitment to sustainable development, effective regulation and strict enforcement of environmental norms, while ensuring that approval processes remain efficient and focused on results.
