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.
"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.