The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on May 11, 2026, issued a notification regarding the Classification of Stand-Alone Cement Grinding Units without captive power plants.
The following has been stated:
• The circular refers to the revised categorisation issued by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), under which such units were proposed to be reclassified from the “Red” category to the “Orange” category on the basis that they have comparatively lower pollution potential than integrated cement plants involving clinker manufacturing and captive power generation.
• The clarification notes that stand-alone grinding units without CPP primarily involve cement grinding and handling activities and do not include clinker production or thermal power generation processes. Based on the revised CPCB methodology, these units were considered to have relatively lower air, water, and hazardous waste pollution loads.
• However, the circular is also significant in the context of the Supreme Court judgment in Harbinder Singh Sekhon vs State of Punjab delivered in February 2026, where the Court quashed the CPCB’s reclassification of stand-alone grinding units without CPP from Red to Orange category, observing that the revised classification lacked sufficient scientific and publicly disclosed evidence regarding reduction of pollution risks and impact on nearby habitations. The Court held that particulate emissions and fugitive dust from such units still pose environmental and public health concerns.
• Accordingly, the circular highlights the regulatory position relating to consent management and environmental safeguards applicable to cement grinding units in Kerala and reinforces the need for compliance with pollution control norms, emission monitoring requirements, and siting safeguards prescribed by environmental authorities.
[Notification no. - KSPCB/258/2025-SEE-1]
