Team Goemkarponn
PANAJI: In a significant policy shift aimed at making regulatory procedures more business-friendly, the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) has approved a revised Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) introducing several relaxations in the process of granting environmental consents to industries and commercial establishments.
Among the major changes is the launch of a Tatkal facility, which enables applicants to secure Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) under the Water and Air Acts without a physical inspection by Board officials. Applicants choosing this fast-track option must pay an additional 50 per cent processing fee and submit the required ownership documents, statutory approvals, a self-certification and an affidavit. Based on these documents, the Board can process the application without conducting a site visit.
The revised SOP also removes the earlier requirement of producing Goa Coastal Zone Management Authority (GCZMA) approval at the CTE stage. However, projects falling within Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) areas will still be required to comply with the provisions of coastal laws independently. At the same time, a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the concerned Village Panchayat has now become compulsory for all consent applications.
Another key reform relates to land ownership documentation. Existing industries and commercial units that have been functioning for several years but are unable to furnish registered sale deeds, conversion sanad, lease agreements or leave-and-licence documents due to various reasons will now be eligible to renew their Consent to Operate.
For fresh applications involving disputed properties, the Board has laid down stricter conditions. Such cases will be examined individually, and applicants must establish peaceful and uninterrupted possession of the land or premises for at least 12 years. They will also have to execute an indemnity bond, while the Board reserves the right to cancel the consent if any declaration is found to be false.
To speed up decision-making, the GSPCB has constituted a Consent Committee consisting of a Scientist ‘D’, the Law Officer, the concerned Taluka Assistant Environmental Engineer and the Environmental Engineer. The committee will scrutinise consent applications before they are approved.
Official data released by the Board shows that 1,721 consents were issued under the Water and Air Acts between February 1 and May 31 this year. These covered fresh approvals, renewals and expansion proposals. The approvals included 416 new Consent to Operate permissions for green-category units, 53 for orange-category units and 10 for red-category industries. The Board also granted 16 new Consent to Establish approvals for red-category industries and 36 for orange-category units.
The revised framework is expected to shorten processing timelines, reduce procedural hurdles for businesses and improve the efficiency of the consent mechanism while ensuring environmental compliance remains in place.
