Resident group CleanAirBharat has written to multiple pollution control authorities, flagging the recurring practice of open burning of metal filters and scrap materials by scrap dealers in and around residential areas across Gurugram and other parts of the National Capital Region (NCR), and sought coordinated action to curb the practice.
The group has sought immediate joint inspections by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) and HSPCB, along with directions to stop open burning. It has also called for the mapping of scrap dealers and informal material-recovery units, particularly those operating within or adjoining residential areas, and the facilitation of authorised recycling channels. The letter cited a recent incident documented by a CleanAirBharat volunteer in Sector 52A, near the Fuel Nation petrol pump, on November 4. Similar practices have also been reported in Sector 55, 85, and 52, Nawada, Manesar, Noida and Greater Noida, the group said.
“Residents cannot be vigilant all the time, tracking and documenting these fires,” Ruchika Sethi, a Gurugram resident and member of CleanAirBharat told HT. The group also said that while citizen volunteers and residents could identify and report pollution sources, preventing emissions and ensuring compliance were the responsibility of civic and pollution-control authorities.
