GPCB consent fees
GPCB consent fees are not flat — they scale with the capital investment of the unit (gross fixed capital investment: land, building, plant & machinery, without depreciation) and are charged per year of consent validity.
How the slab system works
- Units are slotted into investment slabs (lakhs to hundreds of crores).
- Each slab has an annual consent fee; the payable amount = annual fee × years of validity sought.
- Red category units generally pay more than Orange/Green at the same investment level, and renew more often because validity is shorter.
- White category units pay no consent fee (no consent needed) — only any registration charge.
As a rough orientation: a small unit (investment under ₹1 crore) pays a few thousand rupees per year, mid-size units tens of thousands, and large projects (₹100+ crore) can pay several lakhs per year. The exact current slab table is maintained on the XGN portal — always check there before paying, as fee schedules are revised periodically.
Other costs to budget
- Environmental Clearance (EC) consultants and public hearing costs, for projects under the EIA Notification (many Red sector projects)
- ETP/APC capital and operating cost — the real compliance cost; GPCB expects functioning systems, not paper ones
- CETP membership fees in notified estates
- TSDF / common incinerator membership for hazardous waste disposal
- Schedule II environmental audit fee (annually, for specified Red units in Gujarat)
- Monitoring: periodic stack/effluent analysis by recognised labs
Payment & refunds
Fees are paid online through XGN at application time. If an application is rejected, fee treatment follows GPCB's prevailing policy (typically partial adjustment/refund rules) — check current XGN terms.
Figures here are indicative orientation only. The authoritative, current fee schedule lives on xgn.gpcb.gov.in — verify there or with your GPCB regional office before budgeting.