The Sikkim State Pollution Control Board (SPCB-Sikkim) has issued a fresh notification on the classification of industries/sectors into Red, Orange, Green, White, and Blue categories, following the latest guidelines of the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
This new classification—issued after detailed assessments by SPCB Sikkim—supplements the existing categories notified earlier through Notification No. 2592/SPCB dated 27 March 2017. The updated list primarily covers low-pollution and micro/small-scale sectors, several of which have now been placed under the White and Green categories, indicating minimal or negligible pollution load.
⭐ Updated Classification of Industries by SPCB Sikkim
🔹 Green Category
Industries with low pollution potential but requiring minimal regulatory oversight.
- Agro-Horti Warehouse (with cold storage plants) – Green
🔹 White Category
Activities with insignificant or zero pollution load; exempt from consent requirements but must follow standard guidelines.
- Logistic industry (without handling chemicals and without cold storage) – White
- Agro-Horti Warehouse (without cold storage plants) – White
- Controlled mushroom cultivation units – White
- Skill Development Centres – White
- Handloom and traditional weaving (without dyeing operations) – White
- Organic spice and herbs processing, drying & packaging units (without grinding) – White
- Herbal products processing & packaging units (micro & small scale, including moringa-based food supplements) – White
- Edible pickle making & packaging units (micro and small scale) – White
- Homemade edible chips making units (micro and small scale) – White
- Restaurants with seating capacity ≤10 – White
- Hostels with ≤20 occupants – White
- Guest houses/Homestays with <10 rooms – White
- Confectionary (excluding large food-chain outlets) – White
- Tyre repair & retreading units (micro and small scale) – White
- Travel agencies – White
- DG sets below 15 kVA – White
- Concrete pavement tiles & bricks manufacturing units (micro & small scale) – White
- New rural road construction (below 5 km) – White
- Compostable & biodegradable carry-bag units (cutting, sizing, pasting only; manufacturing excluded) – White
📌 Significance of the Notification
- Simplifies environmental compliance for micro, small, and low-impact sectors.
- Aligns Sikkim’s norms with CPCB’s updated national framework.
- Encourages green entrepreneurship, especially in agro-horticulture, home-based food processing, eco-friendly packaging, and tourism.
- Provides clarity for local businesses on consent requirements, environmental norms, and sector-specific categorization.
The new classification supports Sikkim’s broader objectives of sustainable development, low-carbon economic activity, and environment-friendly industrial growth.