The Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) has issued revised guidelines for the siting and operation of Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants across the state. The new notification, dated October 17, 2025, replaces all previous circulars and aims to strengthen pollution control, protect public health, and improve air quality throughout Maharashtra.
📜 Background
The revision follows directions from the Hon’ble Bombay High Court, which took suo-motu cognizance (PIL No. 3/2023) of reports on deteriorating air quality in Mumbai and surrounding areas. Earlier guidelines were issued in 2016 for the entire state and 2024 for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The current notification unifies and updates these standards statewide.
🌍 Key Highlights of the New Guidelines
🏗️ Applicability
- All Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants—both commercial and captive—are categorized under the Orange Category of industries.
- Permissions and NOCs must be obtained from the local body or planning authority, along with development and land ownership documents.
📍 Siting Criteria
1. Commercial RMC Plants
- Must be located at least 200 meters away from schools, colleges, hospitals (above 50 beds), and courts.
- Must maintain a minimum distance of 50 meters from the nearest human habitation in MMR areas (except industrial zones).
- Full enclosure (“box structure”) is mandatory for the entire plant or for sections like silos, conveyors, loading areas, and mixers.
- Existing plants must comply and submit a ₹25 lakh Bank Guarantee within one month of notification.
- Any expansion will be treated as a new unit requiring fresh consent.
2. Captive RMC Plants
- Must also be fully enclosed and submit a ₹15 lakh Bank Guarantee.
- Must be dismantled or shifted within one month after 70% occupancy of the associated project.
- If located outside the project premises, commercial plant criteria will apply.
🌫️ Pollution Control Measures
A. Air Pollution
- Dust control: Covered transfer points, water sprinklers, foggers, or chemical dust stabilizers.
- Paved internal roads and daily cleaning with vacuum systems mandatory.
- Tyre-washing systems and CCTV cameras at entry/exit points.
- GPS tracking for all transit mixer vehicles.
- Cement and fly-ash silos must have bag filters or multi-cyclone dust collectors.
- Conveyor belts and storage areas to be covered; roof-top sprinklers for sand/aggregate storage.
- Automatic interlock between plant operations and pollution control systems.
- Power backup for pollution control systems mandatory.
- Air Quality Monitoring:
- Commercial plants: Install real-time PM10 & PM2.5 sensors.
- Captive plants: Ambient monitoring twice a week.
Ambient air quality limits:
- PM10 ≤ 100 µg/m³
- PM2.5 ≤ 60 µg/m³
B. Water Pollution
- All wastewater (from vehicle washing, floor cleaning, etc.) must be collected and treated before reuse.
- No discharge outside plant premises.
- Treated water to be reused for dust suppression or gardening.
Effluent standards:
| Parameter | Limit |
| pH | 5.5–9.0 |
| Oil & Grease | ≤ 10 mg/L |
| Suspended Solids | ≤ 100 mg/L |
| BOD (3 days) | ≤ 30 mg/L |
| COD | ≤ 150 mg/L |
| TDS | ≤ 2100 mg/L |
C. Noise Pollution
All RMC plants must comply with Noise Pollution (Regulation & Control) Rules, 2000.
D. Solid Waste Disposal
- Sludge and leftover concrete must be reused or sent to approved C&D waste facilities by the local authority.
⚖️ Consent Conditions
- Must comply with the Water Act (1974) and Air Act (1981).
- Must follow MoEF&CC’s 2025 Orange Category siting norms.
- Plants causing environmental damage will face remediation and restoration requirements.
- Captive plants cannot operate commercially; violations will lead to permanent closure.
- Operations in non-MIDC areas restricted to daytime (6 a.m. – 10 p.m.).
- MPCB reserves the right to impose stricter standards if required.
- All new RMC plants in MMR require approval from the Joint Director (Air Pollution Control), MPCB HQ.
📅 Effective Date
These revised guidelines are effective immediately from October 17, 2025, and supersede all earlier circulars issued on November 7, 2016, and November 27, 2024.
🏁 Summary
The new MPCB notification represents a major step toward reducing dust emissions, ensuring cleaner construction operations, and protecting public health across Maharashtra. With stricter siting, enclosure, and monitoring requirements, the state aims to curb the air pollution impact of the rapidly growing construction industry.