A pollution NOC in Delhi means the Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO) issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. Because Delhi is a Union Territory, DPCC does the job that a state pollution control board does elsewhere, and it is stricter about location than most boards. This page explains how DPCC categories, committees, validity and fees work, what changed on the application portal in 2026, and what Delhi factory owners must settle before filing.
| Governing law | Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, s.25 and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, s.21, with CPCB categorisation (Jan 2025) |
|---|---|
| Authority | Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Government of NCT of Delhi, exercising Board functions delegated for the UT |
| Apply on | Online only: DPCC portal per its Citizen Charter; reported shift of new CTE/CTO filings to CPCB's UCAMS portal in September 2026 (confirm before filing) |
| Validity | CTE: 1 to 7 years as requested; CTO and renewal: 5 years for Red and Orange, 10 years for Green (DPCC Citizen Charter) |
| Government fee | By capital investment and category under the DPCC fee structure, from ₹100 for a small Green CTE to ₹10 lakh for large Orange CTE |
| Quick route | Green units not needing pollution control devices: decided within 7 days of receipt per Citizen Charter; White category files an online undertaking |
Who regulates pollution consent in Delhi and under which law
DPCC is the Delhi equivalent of a state pollution control board. Under the Water Act and the Air Act the Central Pollution Control Board can delegate the powers of a state board in a Union Territory, and Delhi's Committee exercises them. DPCC's Citizen Charter lists consent to establish and operate, authorisations under the hazardous, bio-medical, solid, construction and demolition and e-waste rules, and registration under the plastic waste rules among its services.
Section 25 of the Water Act and section 21 of the Air Act bar any industry from being established or run without consent where it discharges effluent or emissions. Delhi's whole territory is an air pollution control area, so nearly every industrial unit needs consent under both laws, issued together. In January 2025 CPCB released a revised categorisation (Red, Orange, Green, White and a new Blue band) and DPCC works from that framework alongside its own committee structure.
Delhi's gatekeeper: conforming industrial areas
DPCC's own page warns that industries in the Master Plan's prohibited group face closure action and that no unit of those categories is allowed to operate in non-conforming areas. CPCB's categorisation report likewise says siting must be in a conforming area as per the guidelines of CPCB, the board or the committee. In Delhi that means notified industrial areas and approved industrial clusters, not residential colonies or mixed-use streets.
This is the single biggest rejection risk for a Delhi unit. A plot may carry an industrial electricity connection yet fail the land-use test. Settle the land-use position before you spend on the application, because the factory licence from the Labour Department applies the same conforming-area logic and both approvals fail together.
Categories, committees and validity under DPCC
DPCC's Citizen Charter sorts applications into committee categories. Category I covers Green-category activities that do not need pollution control devices and is handled by the Cell In-charge or Senior Environmental Engineer, with a stated decision within 7 days from receipt of the application, unless the classification needs clarification. Category II(a) covers activities needing pollution control devices, such as sewage and water treatment plants, CETPs, power plants and municipal waste plants, and is decided by a committee chaired by the DPCC Chairman after inspection. Category II(b) covers all other activities, decided by a committee chaired by the Member Secretary. Timelines for II(a) and II(b) follow the Delhi Right of Citizen to Time Bound Delivery of Services Act, 2011.
White category units do not need CTE or CTO and instead submit an online undertaking. For Red, Orange and Green units the Citizen Charter states that CTE is granted for one to seven years as requested by the applicant, and that CTO or its renewal is granted for 5 years for Red and Orange and 10 years for Green. These periods are shorter than CPCB's outer limit for Orange units, which is 10 years, so plan renewal around the DPCC period and not the CPCB ceiling.
Where to apply: DPCC portal and the UCAMS change
DPCC's Citizen Charter states that consent applications must be filed online through the DPCC portal. A compliance-news report dated 22 September 2026 says DPCC now takes new CTE, CTO and waste authorisation applications on the Central Pollution Control Board's Unified Consent and Authorisation Management System (UCAMS), that the older OCMMS portal is closed to new applications, and that old OCMMS logins will not work for fresh filings. We could not open a DPCC public notice to confirm this, although CPCB's UCAMS has been onboarding other boards and committees through circulars such as one from the Lakshadweep committee effective 21 August 2026.
Practically, check the DPCC site on the day you file. If UCAMS is live for Delhi, register the unit there in the occupier's name, keep an email and mobile you control, and note that the fee will be calculated on that system and not read from an old table.
Documents and Delhi-specific preparation
Delhi files are usually returned for the same few reasons. The checklist below combines the standard consent set with the Delhi points that matter.
- Proof of the occupier and business: incorporation certificate, partnership deed or proprietor ID, PAN and GST
- Proof of premises: registered lease, sale deed or allotment letter, and evidence that the plot is in a conforming industrial area
- Detailed process flow chart, raw material and product list, machinery list and water balance
- Description of air and water pollution control measures, and layout plan showing stack and effluent arrangements
- Capital investment statement (land, building, plant and machinery) because the fee is slab-based on it
- Hazardous waste details, if any, since DPCC decides hazardous waste authorisation together with consent
- Building plan approval or sanctioned layout and, for existing units, previous consent and compliance reports
After consent: inspections, returns and Delhi's air-quality overlay
CPCB's directions set inspection frequency at 6 months for Red, 1 year for Orange and 2 years for Green units, and DPCC's Citizen Charter notes inspection for device-based activities before committee decision. Keep the ETP, stack and monitoring records ready at all times, and file the annual environmental statement (Form V) where applicable.
Delhi sits inside the area covered by the Commission for Air Quality Management, whose directions on approved industrial fuels and emissions apply to industrial units in the NCR. We do not quote fuel rules here because they change, but you should confirm your fuel and any air pollution control device against the current CAQM and DPCC directions before applying for CTO.
Step-by-step process
Check location and category
Confirm the plot is in a conforming industrial area and map your exact process to the CPCB and DPCC category list; decide whether you are White, Green, Orange or Red.
Choose the committee route
Identify whether you fall in Category I (Green, no devices), II(a) (pollution control devices) or II(b) (other), which sets who decides and how.
Register on the current DPCC portal
Create the occupier login on the DPCC portal or on UCAMS if DPCC has shifted new filings there.
File CTE with technical papers
Upload process flow, water balance, control measures, layout and investment figures and pay the calculated fee.
Respond to queries and inspection
Answer DPCC queries quickly and prepare for the inspection that device-based and higher categories attract.
Build as approved, then apply for CTO
Complete construction and install the controls before applying for CTO; do not begin commercial production before it is granted.
Track renewal and compliance
Diary the CTO expiry (5 years for Red and Orange, 10 for Green), inspections and the Form V due date.
Government fees
DPCC fees follow a structure adopted at the Board meeting of 9 December 2009, linked to capital investment excluding pollution control equipment. We could not confirm whether DPCC has revised it since, so check the amount calculated on the portal. Selected rows are shown.
| Item | Amount | Note |
|---|---|---|
| CTE, Green: capital investment up to ₹5 lakh | ₹100 | Orange for the same slab: ₹500 |
| CTE, Green / Orange: above ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore | ₹5,000 / ₹10,000 | One-time CTE fee |
| CTO, Green / Orange: above ₹50 lakh to ₹1 crore | ₹10,000 / ₹20,000 per year | Charged per year of validity sought |
| CTE, Green / Orange: above ₹500 crore | ₹5,00,000 / ₹10,00,000 | Highest slab in the schedule |
| Red category fees | As per DPCC schedule | Not shown in the schedule we reviewed; the portal calculates it |
Frequently asked questions
Which authority gives pollution NOC in Delhi?
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), which exercises the functions of a state pollution control board for the Union Territory under the Water Act, 1974 and the Air Act, 1981. It issues Consent to Establish and Consent to Operate, and decides hazardous waste authorisation along with the consent application.
How long is DPCC consent valid?
DPCC's Citizen Charter states that CTE is granted for one to seven years as requested, and that CTO or its renewal is granted for 5 years for Red and Orange units and 10 years for Green units. White category units need no consent and file an online undertaking instead.
Can I get DPCC consent for a unit in a residential or non-conforming area?
No. DPCC states that industries in the prohibited Master Plan groups face closure action and are not allowed to operate in non-conforming areas, and CPCB's siting guidance requires conforming areas. If your plot is not in a notified industrial area, relocate or regularise before applying.
Has DPCC moved to the UCAMS portal?
A compliance-news report of 22 September 2026 says DPCC now takes new CTE, CTO and authorisation applications on CPCB's UCAMS and has closed OCMMS to new filings. We could not open a DPCC notice to confirm it, so check the DPCC website on the day you file and use whichever portal it directs you to.
How fast is a Green category consent in Delhi?
Under DPCC's Citizen Charter, a Green activity that does not need pollution control devices is a Category I case, decided by the Cell In-charge or Senior Environmental Engineer within 7 days from receipt, unless classification needs clarification. Other categories follow the Delhi time-bound delivery of services law and may need inspection.
What does a pollution NOC cost in Delhi?
The fee depends on your category and capital investment, excluding pollution control equipment. Under the DPCC fee structure, a small Green CTE can be ₹100, while a large Orange CTE can reach ₹10 lakh. CTO fees are charged per year of validity. The portal computes the exact amount.
Do White category units need DPCC consent?
No. White category units are exempt from CTE and CTO, and DPCC's charter says they submit an online undertaking. The exemption does not allow pollution, and the unit must still meet legal standards. Confirm your activity is genuinely White on the CPCB 2025 list, because wet processes can move a unit up a category.
Do I need DPCC consent before applying for a Delhi factory licence?
Usually yes. The Labour Department's factory licence process lists pollution consent among the supporting papers where applicable, and inspectors ask for it. Because both approvals test the conforming-area rule, it is best to settle location and DPCC status first, then file the factory licence.
Official sources
- DPCC – Citizen Charter (consent services, categories, validity, portal)
- DPCC – Consent fee structure (Board meeting 9 Dec 2009)
- DPCC – Documents and conforming-area notes for consent registration
- CPCB – Revised classification of industrial sectors, Jan 2025 (hosted by MPCB)
- Agile Regulatory – DPCC consent applications move to UCAMS (22 Sep 2026)
- Lakshadweep PCC circular on UCAMS onboarding (example of UCAMS rollout)
Reviewed by Satyam Gupta, Company Secretary (CS) & Advocate
8+ years of industry experience. Last reviewed 16 October 2026. Always confirm current rules and fees on the official portal before acting.