Haryana Pollution Control Board issues notices to Gurgaon dyeing units for pollution violations

GURGAON: At various times of the day, blue-coloured currents flow through drains cutting across Bajghera and Sarai Alawardi colonies before emptying into the Najafgarh drain and eventually Yamuna.Hidden inside these densely populated neighbourhoods of Gurgaon are illegal jeans dyeing and washing units that Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) have found operating without mandatory clearances or effluent treatment systems during inspections triggered by a citizen complaint.Following inspections, HSPCB on May 18 issued show-cause notices to the units, saying that they were operating in violation of provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.The notices warned that prosecution proceedings and environmental compensation could be initiated if the violations were not rectified within 15 days. Under the cited provisions, violators can face imprisonment ranging from one-and-a-half years to six years along with fines.The inspections were carried out after Delhi-based activist Varun Gulati filed an Right to Information (RTI) complaint on April 12 alleging illegal dyeing operations in Gurgaon north region. The reply was received on Wednesday, which has been accessed by TOI. Gulati told TOI, “These units are operating from residential areas and releasing untreated coloured effluents into drains connected to the Najafgarh drainage system. This is not just a violation of pollution laws but also a serious public health and groundwater issue.”When contacted, HSPCB officials said action was already initiated against the units identified during inspections. “Further action will be taken as per provisions of the Water Act and Air Act after completion of the due process,” an HSPCB official said. The RTI response said that proceedings related to environmental compensation and power disconnection were currently under the show-cause notice stage.In its RTI response, the HSPCB said inspections were conducted at units named in the complaint and enclosed spot inspection reports, geo-tagged photographs and show-cause notices.Mostly located in residential pockets near Palam Vihar and along the Sector 110-113 belt close to the Delhi border, the units were found extracting groundwater through borewells, generating trade effluent and operating industrial washing machinery despite lacking Consent to Establish (CTE), Consent to Operate (CTO) and Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP), according to HSPCB records.One of the units inspected, Alija Dyeing near Zara Rosa Apartments in Sector 112, Bajghera, was found engaged in “washing and dyeing of jeans”, an activity categorised as Red industry by the HSPCB. Officials recorded during an inspection on April 27 that the unit was operating without obtaining mandatory consents from the board and without installing an ETP.The inspection report noted that the unit used borewell water, generated trade effluent from washing operations and operated a diesel generator set. Officials specifically recorded that installation of an ETP was “required” but “not installed”.The report showed industrial washing machines, heaps of denim fabric, chemical drums and generators operating from congested residential surroundings in Bajghera village.Another unit operating from New Palam Vihar in Sector 110 was found functioning from an under-construction structure where officials noted the presence of industrial infrastructure linked to jeans washing operations.MAS Dyeing Process in Palam Vihar Phase-2, Bajghera, was also found operating without mandatory permissions from the board. The May 8 inspection recorded that the unit generated around 8 KLD of trade effluent while using two borewells as water sources. Officials again noted that the ETP required for the unit had not been installed.Inspection teams found washing machines, hydro extractors, compressors and DG sets installed at the premises. The report showed denim cloth spread across rooftops and open courtyards inside residential clusters in the area.Another unit, Adhya Enterprises in Bhim Colony, Sarai Alawardi, was found operating jeans washing machinery while generating around 7 KLD of trade effluent without an ETP, according to inspection records.The report showed wastewater pits, industrial washing machines and piles of denim material inside residential buildings in the colony.