Panipat under lens as pollution board unveils action plan to clean Yamuna
In a bid to check rising pollution levels in the Yamuna and NCR districts, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has prepared a special action plan to curb the discharge of untreated effluents. A high-level meeting will be held in Panipat tomorrow to review the situation and finalise enforcement measures.
According to sources, the government’s focus areas are Panipat, Sonepat, and Gurugram — districts identified as the most critical pollution hotspots. Panipat, in particular, figures among the 43 critically polluted cities listed by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), with a CEPI score above 70.
A total of 800 industries are registered with the HSPCB portal of which seven fall under the highly polluted category, 450 under red and around 300 under orange.
The CPCB inspection teams, which surveyed 924 industries across the state, found 413 units to be grossly polluting industries (GPIs). Of these, Panipat alone accounted for 45% (181 units), followed by Gurugram (100 units or 25.2%), Faridabad (32 units or 15.2%) and Sonepat (10.2%).
Officials admitted that drain-1 from Kabri Road to Chautala Road in Panipat remains heavily contaminated, as hundreds of industries discharge untreated effluent into it. The drain merges with drain-2, which ultimately carries pollutants into the Yamuna at Khojkipur village. Samples from both drains have repeatedly failed lab quality tests.
In Sector 29, the city’s dyeing hub with over 350 units, untreated chemical effluents continue to flow openly into sewage lines. Black smoke, solid waste burning and roadside effluent discharge remain routine sights despite repeated warnings.
Officials said hundreds of illegal bleaching units still operate across the district, though 32 units were recently sealed as part of enforcement drives.
To curb such violations, the HSPCB has launched a special action plan, prioritising Panipat, Sonepat and Gurugram for intensified monitoring. Senior officials, including Member Secretary Pradeep Dagar and Senior Environment Engineer JP Singh, will visit Panipat for Monday’s meeting with Special Environment Surveillance Task Force (SESTF) members.
“The main agenda is to stop all types of effluents — industrial, solid waste, municipal waste — and the burning of solid waste in open areas,” said Pradeep Dagar, Member Secretary, HSPCB.
He added that both the state and Central governments were “serious about controlling air and water pollution.” A preparatory meeting was already held in Sonepat earlier this week, he said.
Haryana Tribune