**Executive Summary**
This document details the revised greenbelt and plantation norms for sustainable industrial growth, as directed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The revisions, effective from 29.10.2025, rationalize green belt requirements based on pollution potential, replacing the previous mandate from 27th October, 2020. The Central Government monitors implementation through mandatory half-yearly reports from industrial estates and individual industrial units.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Revised Green Belt Requirements (Industrial Estates/Parks):**
* Minimum 10% of the industrial estate area must be designated as common green area.
* Red category industrial units within the estate must develop 15% of their premises as green belt/green cover.
* Orange category industrial units within the estate must develop 10% of their premises as green belt/green cover.
* **Revised Green Belt Requirements (Individual Industrial Units Outside Industrial Estates):**
* Red and orange category industries must develop 25% and 20% green belt/green cover, respectively.
* This can be reduced by 5% each if they are not predominantly air-polluting.
* Green and white industries have optional development, with the exception of green category industries with an air pollution score ≥25 which require 10% green belt/green cover.
* **Rationale for Revision:**
* To balance land requirements for projects with environmental needs.
* To optimize land use and rationalize green belt requirements based on pollution potential.
* Based on the recommendations of a committee and examination of various international norms.
* Industries with higher pollution potential need to develop a larger percentage of green belt to mitigate pollution.
* **Monitoring Mechanism:**
* Industrial estates must submit half-yearly green belt status reports with drone imagery to State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committees (PCC) and the Integrated Regional Office (IRO) of MoEFCC.
* Individual industrial units must submit half-yearly reports on their green belt areas to the respective SPCB/PCC.
* IRO and SPCB/PCC will verify green belt details submitted by the Industrial Estate on yearly basis.
* SPCB/PCC will verify green belt details of individual units on a random basis at time of inspections.
* **Applicability:**
* The revised norms apply to all projects across the country.
* They provide additional land area to industries for expansion without compromising environmental needs.
**Impact Analysis**
**Industrial Estates/Parks:**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to the revised green belt/green cover requirements.
* **Action Required:** Implement the new norms and submit half-yearly status reports.
**Individual Industrial Units:**
* **Impact:** Must adhere to the revised green belt/green cover requirements, depending on category.
* **Action Required:** Implement the new norms and submit half-yearly reports.
**State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committees (PCC):**
* **Impact:** Responsible for monitoring compliance with the revised norms.
* **Action Required:** Receive and review reports, conduct inspections, and verify green belt details.
**Integrated Regional Office (IRO) of MoEFCC:**
* **Impact:** Responsible for monitoring compliance with the revised norms.
* **Action Required:** Receive and review reports, conduct inspections, and verify green belt details.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The primary government entity responsible for setting and overseeing environmental regulations, including greenbelt norms.
Revised Greenbelt and Plantation Norms for Sustainable Industrial Growth: The central policy under discussion, pertaining to requirements for greenbelts in industrial areas.
EIA Notification 2006: Referenced notification related to Environmental Impact Assessments, providing the framework for environmental clearances.
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB)/Pollution Control Committees (PCC): State-level bodies responsible for monitoring and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations, including greenbelt norms.
OIH
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2
TO BE ANSWERED ON 01.12.2025
Revised Greenbelt and Plantation Norms for Sustainable Industrial Growth
2. SHRI DILESHWAR KAMAIT:
SHRI NALIN SOREN:
SHRI BASAVARAJ BOMMAI:
SHRI VISHWESHWAR HEGDE KAGERI:
SHRI P C MOHAN:
SHRI VIJAY BAGHEL:
SMT. KAMALJEET SEHRAWAT:
SHRI ALOK SHARMA:
SHRI NABA CHARAN MAJHI:
SHRI HASMUKHBHAI SOMABHAI PATEL:
SHRI MITESH PATEL BAKABHAI:
SHRI ASHISH DUBEY:
SMT. MAHIMA KUMARI MEWAR:
SHRI KALI CHARAN SINGH:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) the details of the revised greenbelt and plantation norms notified by the Government for
new industrial estates, parks and individual industrial projects under the Environmental
Clearance framework;
(b) the rationale behind revising the earlier requirement of 33 per cent green cover to the
present norms;
(c) the details of the steps taken/being taken by the Government to ensure that the revised
norms continue to promote sustainable industrial growth;
(d) whether the Government is also revising greenbelt and distance norms for new oil and
gas terminals in view of rapid urbanisation in the cities; and
(e) if so, the details thereof and the manner in which the said project is likely to benefit
Jabalpur and Mewar Lok Sabha Constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan
respectively?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) In order to rationalise the green belt requirement based on pollution potential, the
Ministry vide OM dated 29.10.2025 has directed that the revised criteria for developing green
belt/green cover for Industrial Estates/Parks and individual industries may be adhered to in
supersession of the OM dated 27th October, 2020. The revised criteria, inter-alia, mandates
that in Industrial Estates a minimum of 10% of the area of the industrial estate shall be
designated as common green area and respective red category and orange category Industrialunits within the Estate shall develop 15% and 10% of the area of their premises as green
belt/green cover respectively. Further, for individual industrial units outside the Industrial
Estates, red and orange category industries are required to develop 25% and 20% green
belt/green cover in their respective premises which may be reduced by 5% each if they are not
predominantly air polluting industries. With regard to green and white industries it has been
directed that development of green belt/green cover is optional with no mandatory requirement,
except for green category industries with air pollution score ≥25, in which case such industries
shall develop 10% green belt/green cover within their respective premises.
(b) There was a need to strike a balance between the requirement of land for the
Projects/Activities and the environmental needs of the green belt along with the existing
pollution control and abatement measures prescribed under the general and specific conditions
forming part of the prior Environmental Clearance issued in accordance with the provisions of
EIA Notification 2006 as amended, so as to optimize the use of available land. Therefore, it
was decided to rationalize the green belt requirement based on pollution potential. The
rationalization of green belt/green cover was done based on the recommendations of a
Committee, which was, inter alia, based on examining various International norms for
developing green belt/green cover. The rationale for the revised green belt/green cover norms
is that industries with higher pollution potential such as red category industries and orange
category industries need to develop more percentage of green belt in order to mitigate the
pollution that emerges from the industrial activity.
(c) to (e) The Central Government has ensured that the revised green belt/green cover norms
are implemented with a monitoring mechanism which ensures that the industrial estates shall
submit a half yearly green belt status report to the State Pollution Control Boards
(SPCB)/Pollution Control Committees (PCC) and the Integrated Regional Office (IRO) of
MoEFCC, informing canopy coverage, number of living trees, height and species, survival rate,
etc. with drone imagery. The individual industrial units also need to submit half yearly reports
on their green belt areas, including total area covered, number of trees, species types, and other
relevant details, as part of their environmental statements to the respective SPCB/PCC. The
green belt details submitted by the Industrial Estate will be verified by IRO and SPCB/ PCC
on yearly basis. The green belt details of individual units will also be verified by SPCB/PCC
on random basis at time of inspections.
The revised green belt norms shall be applicable to all the projects across the country,
including those in Jabalpur and Mewar Lok Sabha Constituencies in Madhya Pradesh and
Rajasthan respectively. The revised norms provide the benefit of additional land area to
industries to expand their operations without compromising the environmental needs of
developing green belt/ green cover.
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