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Indian Express
3 days ago
- Indian Express
10 industrial units penalised for violating pollution norms, one discharged carcinogenic waste into Yamuna, NGT told
Ten industrial units found violating environmental norms in the residential areas in East Delhi have been penalised for causing pollution, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT). The DPCC issued Environmental Compensation (EC) orders against all 10 defaulting units, the NGT was told. One of these units was allegedly discharging 'highly toxic and carcinogenic' effluents into the Yamuna. The action comes in response to a plea being heard by the NGT that alleged unauthorised operation by these units. According to the plea, filed by a Delhi resident, Varun Gulati, last year, illegal 'red-category' industries – such as electoplating and metal processing — were operating in densely populated residential areas. A joint committee comprising officials from the DPCC, Revenue department, Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), Delhi Police, and BSES conducted surprise inspections in April last year. As per the DPCC's submission on Wednesday, a total of 36 units were surveyed, and inspections were held again for nine of the 36 units. Eleven showcause notices were issued, and Environmental Compensation was finally imposed on 10 units. Among the most serious violations was an electroplating unit operating without any pollution control device, which was found to be discharging untreated wastewater into drains leading to the Yamuna. The DPCC said the waste was 'highly toxic and carcinogenic in nature,' and the unit was sealed after a fine of ₹10 lakh was imposed. In another case, a powder-coating unit in Ghonda was found non-operational, but it was still storing machinery and coloured powder. The MCD sealed the premises, and the DPCC imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh. Here is a list of other units penalised: > An illegal godown for aluminium hardware in Bhajanpura (EC: Rs 40,000) > A garment and bag stitching unit in Bhajanpura (EC: Rs 40,000) > A hanger manufacturing unit using metal wire in Village Gamri (EC: Rs 40,000) > A paper roll and paper cup godown in Gamri (EC: Rs 40,000) > A cloth bag stitching and screen-printing unit (orange-category industry) in Gamri (EC: Rs 5 lakh) > A metal surface finishing unit in Gamri (EC: Rs 40,000) > A red-category electroplating unit in Gamri, where the first floor was sealed (EC: Rs 10 lakh) > An injection-moulding unit involved in waste plastic reprocessing without washing (EC: Rs 5 lakh) The DPCC said that enforcement action in such residential non-conforming areas falls under the jurisdiction of the Zonal Deputy Commissioners of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in line with a 2019 Supreme Court order.
New Indian Express
08-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Activists expose corruption, inaction in Yamuna cleanup efforts
NEW DELHI: While government agencies continue to promise that the Yamuna will soon be clean enough for bathing, two independent activists working on the ground argue that pollution persists due to systemic inaction, corruption, and weak enforcement. Despite personal risks and no institutional support, they have spent years identifying polluting units, inspecting sewage treatment plants (STPs) and pursuing legal action to push authorities into taking meaningful steps. A one-man crusade Varun Gulati, 41, has been waging a near one-man battle against industrial pollution in Delhi since 2018. Armed with a drone borrowed from a friend, Google Maps, and legal perseverance, Gulati says he has identified and reported hundreds of illegal dyeing and chemical units operating without waste treatment facilities. 'There are 27 such areas in Delhi where industries operate in 70% of the space, but not one has a CETP (Common Effluent Treatment Plant),' he says. 'Each of these units releases 5 to 10 lakh litres of untreated waste—containing sulphate, ammonia, phosphate—into the Yamuna every single day.' Gulati claims he has managed to get around 700 polluting units sealed over the years—but not without struggle. 'Officials often warn factory owners in advance. By the time an inspection is carried out, the unit is already shut. Then they report there's no violation,' he says.
Time of India
07-07-2025
- General
- Time of India
Industrial units with no permits operate in Gurgaon, flouting green norms
Gurgaon: Scores of industrial units are operating in the city without environmental permits as authorities struggle to control unchecked pollution in areas already burdened by sewage overflows and encroachment. The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) said in a July 2 right to information (RTI) reply that 281 industrial units in Gurgaon have been granted mandatory environmental consent to operate. Activists allege there are hundreds more industrial units that have been functioning without any approvals. These illegal factories are clustered in and around Basai, Kankrola, Badshapur and Dhanwapur. They operate without basic pollution controls such as effluent treatment systems. You Can Also Check: Gurgaon AQI | Weather in Gurgaon | Bank Holidays in Gurgaon | Public Holidays in Gurgaon "Though the official number is 281, ground reality is far more alarming. In areas like Basai and Kankrola, there are several unauthorised industrial units. These are hotspots of unregulated pollution," said Delhi-based activist Varun Gulati. Most of these units are involved in manufacturing garment and textile, milk packaging, snacks, rubber parts, sealants and synthetic glues. Some of them handle metal scrap, or dismantle electronic waste too. "Many of these industries are ghost operators that don't follow basic rules like effluent treatment. When complaints are filed, they can't be traced," Gulati, who tracks violations in the district, said. The unauthorised units often operate in zones not designated for industry or on the fringes of residential areas, worsening health risks for those living nearby. "Pollution stress in these areas is no longer a hidden issue. It's visible in the water, in the air, and in the rising health risks to nearby communities," said Vivek Kamboj, an environmentalist. Despite multiple complaints, action by pollution control authorities has remained limited to show-cause notices or temporary shutdowns. There is no database to track illegal or unregistered units across the district. "The biggest failure is in enforcement. Pollution control isn't just about paperwork, it's about actually going into these industrial pockets and shutting down operations that poison the environment," said said Shubhansh Tiwari, a research associate at the Centre for Science and Environment. Activists demand that district authorities need to carry out ground-level surveys, satellite-based mapping and real-time inspection systems to track compliance in the rapidly growing city. A senior HSPCB official acknowledged the problem and said the board is aware of illegal units in Basai and Kankrola. "Enforcement drives are being intensified, and action will be taken against units operating without valid consent. No industry has the right to pollute unchecked," the official said.
Time of India
10-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
After groundwater scheme ‘scam', Delhi govt drafting new borewell policy, green tribunal told
New Delhi: After called the voluntary disclosure scheme (VDS) to extract groundwater a "scam", Delhi govt, in a new affidavit, informed the tribunal that a new borewell policy was being framed in consultation with and other govt departments.A plea was filed in NGT by activist Varun Gulati against the illegal drawing of groundwater by guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now In Nov 2023, Delhi Pollution Control Committee informed NGT that of the total 536 guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj, 442 were found to be extracting groundwater. However, notices were initially issued to only 257 guesthouses as 185 were found to be extracting groundwater under Delhi Jal Board's NGT questioned VDS in Nov last year, the counsel for Delhi govt informed the tribunal that VDS was not framed but was discussed in a meeting in 2013, and a public advertisement was issued for it based on the meeting. In Jan, NGT asked the chief secretary to conduct an inquiry and ascertain the loss from the unregulated drawing of groundwater in the name of the "non-existing" VDS in a report dated May 5, Delhi govt said, "The council of ministers has also directed to prepare a new borewell policy to be placed before them for consideration at the earliest. Accordingly, the new borewell policy is being prepared in consultation with Central Ground Water Authority, DJB, revenue department, Delhi Pollution Control Committee, New Delhi Municipal Council and Delhi Cantonment Board." It added that the new policy would be submitted to NGT after necessary affidavit stated that the additional chief secretary (revenue) would conduct an inquiry, on behalf of the chief secretary, on the unregulated withdrawal of water in the name of the non-existing VDS. "The outcome of the inquiry will be submitted to the tribunal," it also said Rs 559.88 lakh was levied towards sewer and water cess charges on guesthouses and hotels in Paharganj. Besides, there is an outstanding amount of Rs 556.39 lakh, for which notices have been issued to the hotels/guesthouses by DJB, it said."To address the extent of damage caused to the environment and the effect of such an illegal action on the groundwater of the area concerned, notices were issued to 536 hotels by DPCC on Aug 4, 2021. Four hundred and twenty-three hotels or guesthouses submitted environmental damage compensation. Fourteen hotels have not deposited EDC while four hotels have partially deposited it. The penalty recovered from violating hotels amounts to Rs 4.16 crore to date," said the report.
