The 33% green cover condition
The 33% green cover condition is a term in some MPCB consent orders that asks a factory to bring at least 33% of its available open land under green cover or plantation. Terms vary by consent order, and this page is not legal advice.
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What the condition says
Here is the wording from one order, a Consent to Establish issued by MPCB in 2014:
“The applicant shall bring minimum 33% of the available open land under green coverage/plantation.”
Read it in a 2014 MPCB consent order (PDF). It's condition 21, and that order is for one unit, so yours may differ.
The yearly tree count
The same order asks for a statement on open plot area, trees surviving as on 31 March, and trees planted by the end of September, filed with the Environment Statement.
So the condition is about more than planting once. The trees have to survive, and someone has to count them each year.
What open land means for the sum
The figure in this wording is a share of available open land, not of the whole plot. As an example, 5,000 sq m of open land at 33% means 1,650 sq m under green cover.
What counts as open land on your site is a question for your consent and your environmental consultant. For a first look, use our green cover calculator.
How to check your own condition
- Find your current consent order from MPCB.
- Look for the words green belt, green coverage or plantation.
- Note the percentage, and what it's a percentage of.
- Note what you have to report, and when.
MPCB covers Maharashtra. Outside the state, read the consent from your own state board.
Where Greenwall comes in
We help you meet your green-cover condition and give you the tree count for your Environment Statement. We plant, then maintain the planting under an annual contract with monthly photo reports.
We don't promise MPCB compliance, and we can't tell you what your consent means in law. Terms vary by consent order, and this page is not legal advice.
Common questions
Does every factory have to reach 33%?
Not necessarily. Terms vary by consent order, so your own order sets what applies to your unit. Check the document itself, not this page.
Does a living wall count towards green cover?
Don't assume it does. The wording of your consent decides, and the example order here talks about open land under green coverage or plantation. Ask your environmental consultant or MPCB.
Will Greenwall make my factory compliant?
We can't promise that, and nobody should. We help you meet your green-cover condition and give you the tree count for your Environment Statement. Whether a unit complies is a matter for MPCB.
My factory is in Surat. Does this apply?
MPCB is Maharashtra's board. A unit in Surat holds its consent from the Gujarat Pollution Control Board, so read that document for any green-cover terms.