Stricter Norms for RMC Plants Across Maharashtra Following High Court’s Air Quality Review. ESG Broadcast Shares Key Takeaways.
Key Extract
On October 17, 2025, the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) officially issued a new set of revised guidelines for Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) Plants. This significant circular supersedes all earlier notifications regarding sitting criteria for RMC plants across the entire State of Maharashtra. The MPCB’s revised guidelines became effective immediately upon the date of their issuance for necessary compliance. All Regional and Sub Regional Officers received explicit direction to ensure the proper implementation of the newly published notification.
The necessity for these stringent, updated guidelines arose from a critical concern over the state’s deteriorating air quality, particularly within the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The Hon’ble High Court of Judicature at Bombay had registered a Suo-Moto Public Interest Litigation based on articles published in local newspapers regarding the serious environmental issue of air pollution within Mumbai and its surrounding areas As a source of air pollution, RMC plants were a specific target of the new regulations, especially given the extensive, large-scale urbanization and resulting construction activity taking place. The MPCB had previously issued guidelines for RMC siting in November 2016 and a specific notification for the MMR area in November 2024.
The new siting criteria mandated significant changes for both commercial and captive RMC plants. New commercial RMC plants were restricted from establishing within 200 meters of schools, colleges, or hospitals with over 50 beds. Furthermore, all existing and new RMC plants must now be entirely covered on all sides using materials like tin to create a box-type structure. Existing commercial RMC plants were given a period of one month to install the box-type structure and submit a Bank Guarantee of $25.0 Lakh towards pollution control system operation and maintenance. Expansion activities for existing commercial plants shall obtain Consent to Establish for the proposed expansion, which will be treated as a new unit, and all relevant conditions regarding Air and Water Pollution Control systems shall be incorporated in the Consent to Establish/Operate.
The guidelines also introduced several mandatory air pollution control measures to mitigate environmental impact effectively. All RMC facilities were directed to install automatic two-level tire washing systems at their entry and exit points for transit mixer vehicles. The use of foggers or a fogging system with minimum 50 meters of water mist fog was made compulsory at all dust-generating sources. Commercial RMC plants must now install standard sensor-based Air Quality Monitoring Systems to track Particulate Matter PM10 and PM2.5 levels. For raw material storage and handling storage silos for cement and fly ash shall be equipped with an adequate dust collection system, such as a multi-cyclone followed by a bag house assembly, and the handling of cement, sand, fly ash, gypsum, and aggregates shall be carried out exclusively through a closed mechanical system.
Strategic significance lies in the statewide uniformity placed on the RMC industry in Maharashtra. Captive RMC plants must now be shifted or dismantled within one month of a project reaching 70% occupancy after receiving the Occupancy Certificate. The new notification also established a mandate that all treated wastewater must be reused in the process, ensuring zero discharge outside the project premises. These comprehensive and mandatory regulations underscores the MPCB’s resolute commitment to enforcing environmental standards across the entire state.
