CAQM inspects 105 industrial units in Nuh during Grap stage III

Ten flying squads checked stone crushers, RMC plants and C&D sites, finding DG set violations in three units despite most facilities remaining shut.

The Commission for Air Quality Management carried out a large-scale enforcement drive in the Nuh district of Haryana on Friday, inspecting 105 industrial units and construction and demolition sites to check compliance with air pollution control norms under its ongoing Operation Clean Air, officials said.

An RMC plant has been shut at Sector 102 near Dwarka Expressway amid recent Grap Stage IV and III curbs. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

According to the Commission for Air Quality Management, the inspection was conducted while actions up to stage three of the Graded Response Action Plan were in force across the National Capital Region. Ten flying squad teams of the commission were deployed for the operation, which was carried out in coordination with the district administration, the Haryana State Pollution Control Board and local police, officials said.

CAQM officials said that of the 105 inspections conducted, five were construction and demolition sites, while the remaining 100 were industrial units. The industrial facilities inspected included 86 stone crushers, five tyre pyrolysis plants, five ready-mix concrete plants, three hot-mix plants and one screening and washing unit.

Officials said inspections were conducted across both conforming and non-conforming industrial areas of the district to ensure comprehensive coverage. The operation was led by district officials, including deputy commissioners and duty magistrates, who allocated inspection zones to the flying squads.

The commission said that almost all industrial units and C&D sites were found to be non-operational, closed or dismantled, in compliance with the restrictions applicable under Grap stage 3. However, violations were detected in three units related to the use of diesel generator (DG) sets, in contravention of direction No. 76 issued by the commission, which regulates the use of DG sets during periods of high pollution.

“These violations have been taken seriously, as DG sets are a significant source of particulate and gaseous emissions during winter months,” the commission said, adding that such non-compliance undermines the objective of GRAP measures aimed at reducing pollution load during critical periods.

The CAQM said strong and visible enforcement is essential to curb violations at the source and to provide relief to residents living near industrial clusters. “These inspections are aimed at ensuring that industries and C&D sites strictly adhere to prescribed norms and do not contribute to deteriorating air quality in the region,” the commission said.

Officials said the inspection in Nuh is part of a broader enforcement strategy being pursued by the CAQM across the NCR and adjoining areas, particularly during the GRAP period. Similar coordinated actions will continue in other districts, with intensified on-the-ground monitoring and strict action against violators.

To be sure, as air quality showed improvement in the national capital on Friday, the Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) revoked Stage-III measures of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

However, the CAQM clarified that preventive and regulatory actions prescribed under GRAP Stages I and II will continue to remain in force to ensure that air quality does not deteriorate again, as winter weather continues to pose challenges. Authorities have urged residents to follow the citizen guidelines prescribed under these stages.