Consent Guidelines 2025 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
The Control of Water Pollution (Grant, Refusal or Cancellation of Consent) Guidelines, 2025 (G.S.R. 85(E), 30 January 2025) are made under section 27A of the Water Act, 1974 and govern consent under section 25. They are drafted on the same pattern as the Air guidelines, and the Amendment Guidelines, 2026 (G.S.R. 63(E)) changed them in the same way. They operate where the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Amendment Act, 2024 applies.
These guidelines are current as amended up to the Amendment Guidelines, 2026 (G.S.R. 63(E), 23 January 2026). Later amendments, CPCB guidelines and State Board orders should be checked. If you need help with a water consent application, see our compliance documentation service.
Applications for consent to establish or operate under section 25 are made in the First Schedule Form with the State's fee (paragraph 3). Consent to establish lasts five years, extendable to seven; consent to operate remains valid till cancelled (paragraph 4, as substituted in 2026), and the State may fix a one-time fee for 5 to 25 years (paragraph 5). Decisions are due within 30 to 90 days, depending on category and type (paragraph 8). The guidelines operate where the 2024 Water Amendment Act applies.
Where the Water guidelines apply
Section 27A, under which the guidelines are issued, came in with the 2024 Amendment Act. That Act applies in Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan and the Union territories and in any State that adopts it; this series does not list States. Section 27A is explained in its sister article and section 25 in section 25 of the Water Act. Water consent is also subject to the exemption for white-category units, explained in our article on G.S.R. 703(E).
Paragraphs 1 and 2: commencement and definitions
The guidelines came into force on publication in the Gazette. The definitions follow the Air text with three differences. "Industrial Unit" means "industry, operation or process, or treatment and disposal system", which is wider than the Air Act's "industrial plant" because it takes in treatment and disposal systems. The "Registered Environment Auditor" (an Environment Auditor as defined under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025) and the "online portal" (the unified consent and authorization management portal) were inserted in 2026. "State Board" includes the Union Territory Pollution Control Committee, and Red, Orange, Green and Blue categories are as categorised by the CPCB from time to time.
Paragraph 3: application and fee
Every application for consent to establish or operate an industrial unit under section 25 is made in the Form set out under the First Schedule, with the particulars the Form asks for and the fee specified by the State Government or Union territory Administration in accordance with paragraph 5 (substituted in 2026). The earlier rebate and late-fee table for renewal applications was not carried into the substituted paragraph.
Paragraph 4: validity (sub-paragraph (3) substituted in 2026)
| Consent | Validity |
|---|---|
| Consent to establish | Five years from the date granted; extendable by a maximum of two years on application, so seven years in total (paragraph 4(1)-(2)) |
| Consent to operate | "Once granted ... shall continue to remain valid till it is cancelled in accordance with the provisions of paragraph 13" (paragraph 4(3), 2026) |
The 2025 text had fixed validity periods for consent to operate by category. They are replaced. The ways consent ends are in paragraph 13, explained in the next article.
Paragraph 5: the fee
Paragraph 5(1), substituted in 2026, lets the State Government or Union territory Administration "determine one-time fee for consent to operate for any duration of period of 5 to 25 years as may be applied for by the Project Proponent", with a proviso that the fee must be paid again for any further extension of 5 to 25 years after the earlier period ends. Paragraph 5(2) makes the Second Schedule amount the upper limit, lets the State, now "in consultation with State Board", prescribe a lower amount, and says there is no lower limit. Paragraph 5(3) caps increases at ten per cent and at one increase in two years, while fees may be reduced any number of times. The Second Schedule for water is in the next article.
Paragraph 6: enquiry (substituted in 2026)
The substituted paragraph is the same as in the Air guidelines: the State Board's officer may inspect the premises, or the project proponent may engage a Registered Environment Auditor; the officer must give notice before visiting; the applicant must provide information and facilities; the Board may engage Registered Environment Auditors under the Environment Audit Rules, 2025; and sub-paragraph (7) deems consent to establish granted to Micro and Small units in notified industrial estates or areas on a self-certified Form I. The Air version is in paragraphs 6 to 8 of the Air guidelines.
Paragraph 7: combined consent and authorisation (substituted in 2026)
"A single-step procedure shall be adopted for granting consent under section 25 of the Act along with authorization under various Waste Management Rules notified under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as may be applicable." The earlier text named only the Hazardous and Other Wastes (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016.
Paragraph 8: time limits
| Item | Application | Red | Orange | Green |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grant of consent to establish | 60 | 45 | 30 |
| 2 | Grant or refusal of consent to operate, first time | 90 | 60 | 30 |
| 3 | Grant or refusal of consent to operate for expansion or amendment | 90 | 60 | 30 |
The days run from receipt of the application in all respects. The words "or refusal" were omitted against item 1, and item 3 (previously also covering renewal, with 120, 60 and 30 days) was substituted in 2026. If the Board does not decide in time, the case goes to the State Level Monitoring Committee, which disposes of it within thirty days. For the Water guidelines, the Committee may recommend presenting a case for contravention before the adjudicating officer "under section 45B of the Act", the Water Act provision explained in our article on the Water Inquiry Rules.
Paragraph 9: location (substituted in 2026)
Location conditions for a new industrial unit are imposed, where environment clearance is required, by the concerned Expert Appraisal Committee at the Central or State level, and in other cases by the State Board. The earlier text of paragraph 9, with sensitive-area restrictions and minimum distances by category, was replaced.
What differs from the Air guidelines
| Point | Air guidelines | Water guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| Statutory base | Section 21A and section 21 consent | Section 27A and section 25 consent |
| Subject of consent | "Industrial plant" emitting air pollution | "Industrial unit": industry, operation or process, or treatment and disposal system |
| Conditions on consent | Chimney, with continuous emission monitoring where applicable | Outlet, with the same monitoring words, as printed |
| Non-compliance ground (v) in paragraph 13 | Emission standards and air pollution control devices | Effluent discharge standards and control equipment |
| Adjudicating officer for delays | Section 39B cited | Section 45B cited |
| Service fee credit | Under section 33 of the Act | Under section 36 of the Act |
| Where operative | Throughout the Act | Where the 2024 Amendment Act applies |
For the Air side, see paragraphs 1 to 3 of the Air guidelines.
Practical steps
- Confirm that the 2024 Water Amendment Act applies to your State before applying under these guidelines.
- Use the First Schedule Form and attach the State's fee.
- Choose the one-time fee period (5 to 25 years) with your finance team.
- Consider an auditor's verification under paragraph 6.
- Track the days in paragraph 8 from the date the application is complete.
- Ask about the combined procedure for consent and waste authorisation.
Example
Hooghly Dairy Products Limited, a green-category unit, discharges treated effluent and needs consent under section 25. It applies for consent to operate in the Form with the State's fee for a fifteen-year one-time period. The Board has thirty days from the date the application is complete. The company engages a Registered Environment Auditor, whose report goes to the Board. The Board grants consent, which carries no expiry date, and the unit now watches its compliance record, since paragraph 13 is the only route by which the consent ends.
Need help with a Water consent application?
Our compliance documentation team can help you prepare the application, coordinate an auditor's visit and keep the days under watch.
Key takeaways
- The Water guidelines mirror the Air guidelines, under section 27A and section 25, where the 2024 Amendment Act applies.
- Consent to establish: five years, extendable to seven. Consent to operate: valid until cancelled.
- The State may fix a one-time fee for 5 to 25 years; a further extension needs a further fee.
- Time limits run from a complete application: 30 to 60 days for consent to establish and 30 to 90 days for a first consent to operate or an expansion, depending on category.
- "Industrial unit" includes treatment and disposal systems.
Read next
- Paragraphs 10-18 and the Second Schedule of the Water consent guidelines
- Paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Air consent guidelines: validity and fees
- Section 27A of the Water Act: central guidelines on consent
- Pollution control CTE and CTO eligibility criteria
Disclaimer: Based on the environment rules, guidelines and notifications named above as published in the Gazette of India, read with every amendment notified up to 3 October 2026 that the article names (consolidated reading texts from the CPCB 2021 compilation and the Goa State Pollution Control Board 2025 compilation were checked against the amending notifications), as consulted on 3 October 2026. Later amendments, CPCB guidelines, State Board orders and fees should be checked. This article is general information, not legal advice; check the official text before acting.