GURUGRAM: The Haryana government has levied over Rs 45 crore in environmental compensation (EC) on more than 400 industrial and commercial entities over the past three years. However, less than 1% of these penalties have been collected.
Currently, Rs 44.87 crore remains unpaid, with only around Rs 42 lakh collected in response to penalties for various violations, encompassing illegal mining, dust emissions, unauthorized construction, and untreated wastewater discharge. The overdue EC stems from infractions reported from 2021 to 2024.
Despite the limited recovery, many violators have either ceased operations, switched ownership, relocated, or contested the penalties, effectively hindering enforcement efforts.
Only six violators across all districts have made any payments, the largest totaling Rs 10.45 lakh from a Gurgaon-based firm. Documentation obtained through a Right to Information (RTI) request reveals that nearly all units listed have made no payments, despite multiple notifications.
A senior official from the Haryana State Pollution Control Board acknowledged, “We recognize that recovery has been sluggish, particularly with units that have closed or relocated. Our teams are now directed to implement revenue-recovery measures, such as property attachment, and to pursue pending cases with greater urgency.”
A significant portion of the unpaid dues is attributed to stone crushers and mining operations in Charkhi Dadri, Mahendragarh, Bhiwani, Faridabad, and Jind, each of which owes between Rs 7 lakh and Rs 40 lakh.
These entities significantly contribute to dust pollution and land degradation without settling their EC obligations.
Another major group comprises textile-dyeing and washing facilities in Gurgaon, Faridabad, and Panipat. Most have been fined Rs 14.26 lakh for running without proper permissions, discharging untreated effluents, and repeatedly ignoring closure orders.
The list extends to ready-mix concrete plants, banquet halls, hotels, marriage lawns, warehouses, foundries, and construction projects, some facing penalties ranging from Rs 85 lakh to over Rs 1.2 crore for dust emissions, illegal borewells, unapproved expansions, and waste mismanagement.
Experts state the implications of poor recovery extend beyond financial losses. The EC is intended to fund the restoration of the sites affected by these violations. This shortfall has caught the attention of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The tribunal has been informed that nearly Rs 230 crore in EC remains outstanding across Haryana, not just in the districts highlighted in the RTI.
The petition contends that the state’s inability to recover these dues has directly obstructed the restoration, remediation, and revitalization of degraded areas. The NGT noted that these claims pose a “substantial question relating to the environment” and has requested responses from the government and the Haryana State Pollution Control Board by February 13.
