What adds to Yamuna pollution? Toxic waste dumped by city's industrial units
Gurgaon: At several points along the Badshapur stormwater channel are industrial units that routinely release untreated wastewater into the drain, which eventually flows into Yamuna river, dumping in it a cocktail of toxic pollutants.
Wastewater laced with chemicals was seen being discharged into the 29km Badshapur channel in Sector 34 of the city, and Kankrola village of Manesar on Friday.
In Sector 34, a stream of wastewater was flowing steadily from industrial outlets directly into the stormwater channel. The stream was murky and emitted a pungent odour. Foam and oily residues floated on its surface, indicating the presence of untreated effluents.
Along the channel, vegetation was sparse and withered – a possible effect of prolonged exposure to effluents.
Some 10km away, TOI spotted illegal dyeing units operating in Kankrola village. At first glance, these appeared to be shut down, but rows of denims were hung out to dry in an open area on the rear side of the plot, which was barricaded only by iron grilles.
Despite being in plain sight, spotting these units wasn't easy.
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A narrow, unpaved path is the only link to the main road in the village.
Residents said waste dumping was not a one-off exercise.
"We have seen at least 20 tankers openly dumping untreated sewage and waste illegally into the drain at the same area. It's a common practice at night and early mornings, when they think no one is watching," said Rakesh Yadav, who lives in Khandsa village in Sector 34.
Suresh Kumar, who also lives in the area, said a suffocating stench hangs in the air.
"The smell makes it impossible to live here. We have complained multiple times, but nothing changes. Our children are constantly falling sick, and we believe it's because of the contaminated water and air," Kumar said.
Activists have voiced similar concerns for years.
"The discharge of sewage directly into the Badshapur drain has been going on for years. I have made several complaints and submitted photographic evidence.
But authorities are allowing violators to mix rainwater with sewage and diverting it to Najafgarh channel. This causes severe pollution of Yamuna," said Varun Gulati, a Gurgaon-based environmentalist.
It isn't that authorities are unaware of untreated wastewater flowing into the channel and inevitably polluting the Yamuna. In 2019, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) had documented that at least 26 spots in the city from where sewage or industrial waste was being illegally dumped into the Badshapur channel.
Haryana govt's Yamuna Action Plan, prepared in Nov 2018, also identified the Badshapur channel as one of the key sources of pollutants being dumped into the river.
Yet, little has changed on the ground. In Khandsa, for instance, the industrial units have been functioning for years and there is no common effluent treatment plant in the area, Gulati said. Such plants are typically installed in industrial hubs, so multiple factories can use them to treat effluents before wastewater is released into the drains.
An HSPCB official on Friday acknowledged that untreated effluents being released into the stormwater channel was a problem but added that the agency has resource constraints.
"We are aware of the violations and have issued notices to several industrial units. However, we need more manpower and equipment to enforce regulations. We have shut down several polluting units in the past," the official said.
Experts also pointed out that Yamuna cleanup was promised in Delhi, but the sources polluting the river weren't limited to the capital.
"Yamuna pollution is an NCR-wide crisis. While the river's course through Delhi is just 2%, it receives nearly 80% of its pollution load there. Gurgaon is a significant contributor through the Badshapur nullah, which drains into the Najafgarh nullah. Therefore, the solution must be regional. Every major polluting source in the catchments of streams and nullahs joining the Yamuna across NCR would require to be addressed, to restore the river's health," Chetan Agarwal, an environment analyst, said.
A day before, on Thursday, Union home minister Amit Shah said at a meeting that Yamuna was "not just a river but a symbol of faith" and urged authorities to take a "holistic approach" to clean it up. At the meeting – attended by housing and urban affairs minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Jal Shakti minister CR Patil and Delhi chief minister Rakha Gupta – Shah called for a 20-year vision and said that cleanup was a priority for the BJP govt.
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