The board has also extended the period of validity of the ‘consent to operate’ certificate. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has decided to ease certain norms for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) for industrial units, said government officials. The NOC is mandatory for setting up and operating industrial units in and around Gurgaon district. There are over 600 industrial units that require certificates from the HSPCB. According to officials, the board has decided that the ‘consent to establish’ NOC, usually issued after 120 days, would be issued within 90 days from now. Officials are also planning to expedite the documentation process, to ensure that the certificate is issued within 60 days by next year. The board has also extended the period of validity of the ‘consent to operate’ certificate. The industries falling in the red ‘highly polluting’ category and the orange ‘less polluting’ category will now get consent to operate for five years and 10 years, respectively. Earlier, they were given consent for two and three years respectively. The department will continue to monitor the industries to check whether they are complying with the norms, said a HSPCB official.