Industries to Pay Higher Annual Fees for Pollution NOC; Red Category to Bear the Highest Burden

 

Industries in Uttar Pradesh will now have to pay significantly higher fees every year to obtain and renew their No Objection Certificate (NOC) related to pollution control. The Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board has updated its fee structure, mandating annual renewal of NOCs which were previously issued for five years.

Under the revised structure, industries are categorized based on their pollution risk—Red (high risk), Orange (medium risk), and Green (low risk)—and their capital investment. The highest fee will apply to Red-category industries with large capital investments, while Green-category industries with smaller investments will pay the least.

The updated fee slabs are as follows:

Revised NOC Fee Structure for Industries (Based on Investment Size & Pollution Category)

Capital Investment	Proposed Fee (One-Time)	Pollution Fee	Annual Fee	Orange Category	Green Category
₹1,000 Cr – ₹5,000 Cr	₹2.50 lakh	₹1.25 lakh	₹5 lakh	₹5.75 lakh	₹6.50 lakh
₹500 Cr – ₹1,000 Cr	₹1.50 lakh	₹75,000	₹1.50 lakh	₹1.72 lakh	₹1.95 lakh
₹250 Cr – ₹500 Cr	₹1 lakh	₹50,000	₹1 lakh	₹1.15 lakh	₹1.30 lakh
₹50 Cr – ₹250 Cr	₹75,000 to ₹1,00,000	₹35,000 – ₹50,000	₹75,000	₹86,000	₹97,000
₹10 Cr – ₹50 Cr	₹50,000	₹25,000	₹50,000	₹58,000	₹65,000
₹1 Cr – ₹10 Cr	₹20,000	₹10,000	₹20,000	₹23,000	₹26,000
Below ₹1 Cr	₹3,000 (Min Slab)	₹1,500	₹5,000	₹7,500	₹10,000

The new fee structure aims to streamline environmental regulation and encourage pollution control compliance. It will also enable the Pollution Control Board to conduct more frequent inspections and data monitoring.

Officials said that the proposal was finalized after 12 rounds of internal discussion and will bring Uttar Pradesh's regulatory standards in line with national environmental governance practices.