Gurugram, often described as a city perpetually “under construction,” is now facing the dark side of its rapid urban growth. With nearly 5,000 construction projects underway at any time, unchecked dust pollution has turned the city into a suffocating dust bowl, severely impacting air quality and public health.
Despite repeated directives from the Department of Town and Country Planning (DTCP), less than 15% of construction and demolition (C&D) sites have registered on Haryana’s official dust portal or implemented the mandatory dust control measures.
“The new Gurugram has always been under construction from real estate projects to government infrastructure works. The area has turned into a dust bowl,” said Praveen Malik, president of the United Association of New Gurugram. “The dust from these sites directly contributes to higher AQI levels, but enforcement is missing. Authorities barely acknowledge construction dust as a pollution source.”
Health at Risk
Medical experts are warning of a growing health crisis. The rise in particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10) largely from C&D activities has led to a spike in respiratory illnesses among residents.
“We’re seeing a sharp increase in cases of COPD and other respiratory problems,” said Dr. Varun Dahiya, a local pulmonologist. “Earlier, it was mostly construction workers who suffered, but now children and senior citizens living near these sites are falling ill too.”
Rules Ignored, Enforcement Weak
To curb the menace, DTCP mandated that all construction sites over 500 square metres must register on the Haryana State Pollution Control Board’s (HSPCB) dust portal. The Haryana Shahari Vikas Pradhikaran (HSVP) also ordered 16 major developers to list their projects for emission monitoring.
However, compliance remains dismal. Most developers continue operations without registration or adherence to dust mitigation norms.
“The government isn’t even acknowledging that unchecked dust is worsening the AQI,” said environmentalist Vaishali Rana from the Aravalli Bachao Movement. “Construction goes on unchecked even at night including government projects that violate their own rules. It seems our lives are cheaper than multi-crore realty ventures.”
Neglected Guidelines
The DTCP’s 14-point dust control policy mandates the use of anti-smog guns, water sprinklers, dust barrier sheets, raised barricades, and covered transport for construction materials. Sites must also install PM2.5 and PM10 sensors, along with 360-degree video surveillance for real-time monitoring.
Yet, enforcement on the ground remains lax. With winter setting in and air quality rapidly deteriorating, experts fear Gurugram’s unchecked construction activity will continue to push pollution levels into the ‘severe’ zone turning India’s millennial city into a construction-driven health hazard.