New Delhi, Oct. 30 -- The Union Environment Ministry has eased the mandatory green cover requirement for industrial estates, reducing it from 33% to 10%, while introducing category-wise rules for individual industries based on their pollution levels.

Officials said the change aims to balance land use efficiency with environmental protection.

Under the new guidelines, industrial estates must now set aside at least 10% of their total area for common green zones, with dense plantations of around 2,500 trees per hectare.

These green areas can be created either in one location or spread across multiple clearly marked sections within the estate.

In addition to the common area, industries within the estates will have separate requirements de...