Haryana NGT Orders Report On Panipat Cement Pollution

India’s rapidly urbanising industrial belts are once again under environmental scrutiny after the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) to submit a detailed compliance report on alleged violations by a cement factory in Khukhrana village, near Panipat. The move reflects growing judicial concern over industrial pollution’s impact on local health and environmental quality at a time when cities nationwide are grappling with air and soil contamination linked to construction supply chains.

The NGT’s order follows a joint inspection by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), HSPCB and the District Magistrate last year that flagged significant breaches of environmental norms at the plant sited barely 10 feet from the village residential cluster. The tribunal has scheduled the next hearing for early May, after giving the HSPCB six weeks to file its findings.According to the interim report, plant operations have been linked to persistent cement dust emissions settling in nearby homes and on vegetation, posing potential respiratory and ecological risks. Although the facility implemented a basic water-sprinkling mechanism and proposed a marginal green-belt expansion, these measures were deemed insufficient to mitigate particulate drift into the community.The context of this development matters in broader urban and industrial policy discussions. Cement production and handling are known contributors to particulate matter in ambient air — a major public health concern in industrial hubs like Panipat and the wider National Capital Region. Recent environmental monitoring around the Panipat Thermal Power Station has detected elevated levels of hazardous pollutants, including nickel and benzene, at several residential locations, prompting separate remedial directives from the NGT.

Urban planners and health experts say such pollution hotspots can have cumulative effects on population well-being, particularly when they intersect with dense housing, schools and informal settlements. As India pursues expansive infrastructure and housing programmes, ensuring that key industrial inputs — from cement to concrete — comply with environmental standards becomes central to both sustainable urban development and long-term climate resilience.The NGT’s insistence on accountability also underscores a wider regulatory challenge in many Indian states, where local pollution control agencies are often criticised for delayed or inconsistent enforcement. Stakeholders point to the need for more systematic emissions monitoring, transparent data sharing and stricter penalties for non-compliance to protect vulnerable communities living on the margins of industrial zones.

For Panipat’s residents and civic authorities, the tribunal’s intervention offers a rare opportunity to benchmark industrial compliance against environmental benchmarks and public health priorities. The upcoming status report will not only clarify the factory’s adherence to norms but also potentially shape future policy on industrial siting, pollution control infrastructure and community health safeguards in rapidly urbanising regions.

Also Read: India Cement Sector Drives Deep Decarbonisation Strategy

Haryana NGT Orders Report On Panipat Cement Pollution