The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued a circular dated April 28, 2025, introducing a revised structure for penal fees and consent processing timelines, aligning with the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) Notification No. G.S.R 84(E), dated January 29, 2025.
The circular, adopted in the MPCB’s 184th Board Meeting held on March 10, 2025, supersedes the previous circular dated July 12, 2022, regarding the Combined Consent Regime under the Air and Water Acts for renewal of consents only.
📅 Effective Date:
June 1, 2025
(Units applying before May 31, 2025 are exempt from the new late fees.)
💰 Key Fee Provisions:
🔁 Early Application Rebate:
- 5% rebate on consent fees for applications submitted at least 4 months before expiry.
🕒 Late Fee Structure:
| SI. No. | Application Window | Late Fee |
| 1 | Between 120-45 days of the validity | 25% of consent fee |
| 2 | Between 45 days to till the validity | 50% of consent fee |
| 3 | After expiry of validity | 100% of consent fee |
Note: These charges do not apply to units that have already paid previous penalties or submit before May 31, 2025.
🗂️ Consent Application Processing Timelines:
| Application Type | Red (days) | Orange (days) | Green (days) |
| Grant of refusal of consent to establish | 60 | 45 | 30 |
| Grant or refusal of consent to operate , first time | 90 | 60 | 30 |
| Grant or Refusal of Renewal of consent or expansion or amendment | 120 | 60 | 30 |
🔒 Additional Key Points:
- Online e-payment is mandatory for all penal fees.
- The older 2022 penal fee circular will no longer apply to consent renewals after June 1, 2025, but remains in force for other applications.
- Pending applications without previously paid penalties will be processed under the new MoEF&CC norms.
📢 Implementation Advisory:
All field officers of MPCB are directed to strictly enforce this circular. Units and industries are advised to apply early and avoid penalties by complying with the revised submission timelines.
