Every night tonnes of hazardous industrial waste are quietly set on fire in the folds of the Aravalis along the Rajasthan-Haryana border in Nuh. The flames die by morning, but the smoke lingers invisibly, poisoning the same Delhi-NCR air that governments, courts and agencies have spent years and crores trying to clean.
The practice continues despite measures like the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) and the age cap on old diesel and petrol vehicles. While these rules bring costs for citizens, their impact is undercut by a thriving black-market network where factories avoid paying the legal disposal fee of ₹10–20 per kg, and instead route their chemical waste to transporters who burn it off in kilns for a fraction of the cost.
Villages Turn Into Burning Grounds
Most of the kilns are located in Khori Kalan and Khori Kurd villages. Here, chemically treated industrial scrap, plastics and rubber are mixed with wood and set ablaze in pits. The result: vast stretches of scorched land and a pungent cocktail of toxins in the air.
Locals say they have been suffering for over 15 years, but the burning has grown worse. “This is an environmental emergency. Every night, small fires across the villages are seen, making it hard for us to breathe,” said Ahmed, a resident of Khori Kalan.
Residents point to powerful people backing the illegal trade. Transporters admit they make ₹2–5 per kg moving waste from Rajasthan’s industrial hubs like Bhiwadi, Khush Khera and Dharuhera into Nuh. “Factories need us because it’s cheap for them. Everyone knows it’s illegal, but the money keeps the cycle going,” said a transporter. On an average night, 10–15 trucks carrying around 10 tonnes each arrive, unloading drums of waste to be burned by morning.
Evidence of the practice is everywhere: plastic, rubber, and stacked drums awaiting disposal. In Khori Kurd, large patches of Aravali foothills are scarred black from repeated burning.
The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) confirmed that most of the waste originates in Rajasthan. “We have written to the Rajasthan pollution board to act on it,” said Akanksha Tanwar, regional officer in Nuh. The forest department has already filed three complaints against companies including Om Cargo Logistics, PG Technoplast Pvt Ltd and Gracure Pharmaceuticals Ltd for illegal dumping.
Locals have also taken legal action. Last year, resident Usman Khan filed a public interest litigation before the Punjab and Haryana High Court, alleging that local disposal units were receiving chemical waste in drums, burning it, and selling the charred residue, known as gulla as a cheap substitute for coal to eateries and small furnaces. The case is still pending.