New Delhi, April 10 -- Recently, the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has carved a new category of industries called the 'blue category' industries based on the Essential Environmental Services (EES) for managing the pollution due to anthropogenic activities.

While the addition of important services in waste management such as composting, biogas, material recovery facilities and sewage treatment plants is a welcome move, the inclusion of waste-to-energy (WTE) incineration which is the process of burning unsegregated municipal solid waste (MSW) to produce dirty electricity is a huge retrograde step.

With this new categorisation, the CPCB will give an additional two years validity for consent to operate a.k.a consent to pollute. ...