The Industrial Model Township (IMT) Dharuhera, a major industrial hub in Haryana, has turned into an illegal dumping ground for toxic industrial waste, effluent treatment plant (ETP) sludge, and sewage. Spread across 424 hectares in Sectors 15, 16, and 17 along NH-48, the township sits 40 km from Gurugram and about an hour from IGI Airport. Developed by the Haryana State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (HSIIDC), it houses over 320 operational units in automotive components, engineering, and FMCG, employing around 21,000 workers.
Waste dumped on empty plots and roadsides
Empty plots, roadside stretches, and green belts within the 400-acre township are being used to indiscriminately dump industrial waste, ETP sludge, and sewage. Residents and industrialists have been complaining for months about the complete collapse of waste management. Industrial and chemical waste is not only being discharged on plots and roadsides but is also being set on fire in broad daylight.
Over 40 villages surround the industrial area, along with many labor colonies. The open dumping sites near residential and worker-housing clusters are causing persistent foul odors, a sharp rise in mosquito breeding, and growing complaints of skin and respiratory irritation among those living closest to the affected plots.
Dharuhera among most polluted in NCR
Dharuhera frequently ranks among the most polluted areas in the National Capital Region (NCR). In October, it recorded a monthly average PM2.5 concentration of 123 µg/m³, breaching national air quality standards on 77 percent of days, making it India's most polluted city that month. Residents say rampant open waste burning was a major contributor then, and the same unchecked disposal culture is now spilling into solid and liquid waste dumping, compounding an already fragile environmental record.
Environmental experts warn that if the waste is not cleared before the monsoon, chemical runoff could seep into the soil and contaminate groundwater across the township and adjoining villages. They add that despite multiple past representations, no effective enforcement action has followed, calling it a failure of monitoring and regulatory mechanisms at the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), HSIIDC, and district administration levels.
Industry association and activists demand action
Prakash Yadav, a social activist from Kharkhoda village who filed the original complaint with the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), HSPCB, HSIIDC, and the district administration, said, "This is an environmental emergency being ignored for years. We need joint inspections, mapping of illegal dumping sites, scientific testing of groundwater and soil, and action under the polluter pays principle before it is too late."
A Dharuhera Industry Association representative said sanitation was the biggest crisis facing the township, with empty plots turning into dump yards not just for solid waste but chemical and industrial sludge as well, adding that numerous complaints had been made without results.
Government responds
Industry Minister Rao Narbir Singh, responding to queries on the matter, said the issue had been flagged to him and would be reviewed on priority. "I have taken note of the complaints coming from Dharuhera. I will get the entire situation reviewed thoroughly. The HSIIDC, HSPCB, and the district administration will be asked to jointly inspect the site. It will be resolved within 15 days," he said.
