Municipal Corporation of Gurugram demolishes 10 RMC plants after pollution watchdog flags illegal operations

The Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) demolished 10 Ready Mix Concrete (RMC) plants this week, after the state pollution watchdog flagged that several non-compliant plants had resumed operations illegally after breaking official seals.

The action follows an October 27 letter, sent by the Regional Office (Gurugram South) of the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to the commissioners of both the MCG and the Municipal Corporation of Manesar (MCM), as well as the District Town and Country Planning (DTCP) department.

In the letter, the pollution board noted that closure directions had already been issued against non-compliant units, but enforcement was being subverted on the ground. “In compliance with these directions, the plants were sealed by this office. However, it has been observed that a few units are still operating illegally after breaking the seals affixed to the plant and machinery,” the letter stated.

The board further pointed out that these facilities were functioning without basic land and development clearances: “It is further submitted that these Ready Mix Concrete Plants do not possess the required No Objection Certificate (NOC) and/or Change of Land Use (CLU) permission from the DTCP department or the Municipal Corporation, Gurugram/Manesar.”

The HSPCB also urged civic and town planning authorities to “direct the concerned officers to take demolition action against the illegally operating Ready Mix Concrete Plants in Gurugram….”

Attached to the letter was an annexure detailing 63 RMC plants across Gurugram and Manesar where the HSPCB had issued formal closure orders in recent years, predominantly between 2021 and 2026, in clusters such as Kherki Daula, Wazirpur, Badshahpur, Garhi Harsaru, and Sector 37D.

Meanwhile, MCG Joint Commissioner (Swachh Bharat Mission) Preetpal Singh told The Indian Express that regional units of the pollution control board had specifically red-flagged around 31 such allegedly illegal and functional RMC plants that warranted direct field action.

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“During our inspections we check if they have the necessary permits to operate and run on the allotted land. If they do not have it, sometimes the owners themselves step in else we proceed. Further action and continuous monitoring will follow now through the winter, as these are a major contributor to dust pollution,” Singh said.

On Tuesday, squads pulled down eight RMC plants in Bhondsi, Daulatabad, Behrampur, Dhumaspur, and Maidawas. On Wednesday, civic authorities razed two more plants in Daulatabad, bringing the two-day count to 10.

The enforcement drive assumes significance as unregulated concrete batching plants are a key contributor to localised dust and ambient particulate matter emissions across the National Capital Region, worsening the seasonal smog build-up, officials said.

MCG Commissioner Pradeep Dahiya stated that air quality control remains an administrative priority, adding that surveillance and demolition squads will continue targeting unauthorised facilities across the city over the coming weeks.

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On Tuesday, a squad led by Assistant Engineer Ashish Hooda demolished three plants along Rithoj Road, Jail Road, and in Behrampur. Another team headed by Assistant Engineer Hari Prakash brought down three plants in Daulatabad, while a team under Junior Engineer Kapil, working under Joint Commissioner Sapna Yadav, demolished two setups in Dhumaspur and Maidawas. On October 29, Hari Prakash’s team took down two more plants in Daulatabad, bringing the two-day count to 10.