The Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) has issued notices to 73 units, including malls, several other shopping and commercial complexes and leading industrial units in Gurgaon regarding measures to be adopted to check possible increase of toxic nitrogen oxide (NOX) element which forms part of air pollution.

This was disclosed here today by the Regional Officer, Gurgaon, HSPCB, Dr C. V. Singh, at a function organised here by the National Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) headed by Mr H. P. Yadav. The function was regarding celebrations of World Earth Day to be observed tomorrow. The function was in the form of a one-day workshop on “Best Practices for Pollution Control and Compliance of Environment”.

The HSPCB issued the notices at the behest of the Central Pollution Control Board. It has set the parameters to be followed by the units to control possible increase of the ratio of NOX as well as other toxic gases in the air.

According to Mr Singh, the units have been asked to ensure that their generator sets of 1000 KWT capacity and more do not emit more than 75 PPM unit of the gas. Also, that they must have automatic monitoring mechanism. They must also individually prepare an action plan report as preventive and precautionary measures to fulfil the directive of the Central Pollution Control Board to minimise the possibility of increase of toxic gases.

To cap it, it has been made mandatory for the units to display the details outside their premises and also send them to the HSPCB.

However, the board has not set a deadline for compliance.

Dr Singh, during his speech, reiterated the stand of the Haryana Government, debunking a survey of the Central Pollution Control Board which found that air in Gurgaon had three times more of the permissible content of VOX. A monitoring team of the central board had conducted the survey towards the end of last year. The permissible limit is 80 micro gram/cubic metre. According to the survey, Gurgaon was one of the largest pollutants of toxic gas in the country.

This had kicked up a furore and the matter was also raised in the Haryana Assembly.

Picking up the thread of the government’s stand, the HSPCB lamented that the monitoring team of the board had collected one sample at one of the busiest joints of the city and that too in December when fog and dense air made the weather heavy. The team exterpolated the finding for the entire city. The methodology adopted to reach the conclusion was debatable.

Rather, the state board today put the blame on the national Capital, and also the central board in the process, saying that samples conducted by it in January and February this year and also reports of about 35 various other authorised entities, revealed that the level of NOX emission in Gurgaon was less than in Delhi. According to him, while the average amount of the gas in air surveyed in Gurgaon on January 6 was between 10-51 micro gram/cubic meter, in New Delhi it was between 97-99. Also, in February, the survey in Gurgaon put the figure between 11-38 while in Delhi it was between 65-97.

The state board also revealed that in its correspondence with the central board it had contested the latter’s finding.

Speaking on the occasion, the deputy commissioner expressed concern at lack of greenery in Udyog Vihar area managed by the Haryana State Industrial Corporation. He urged owners of plots in the industrial zone of Udyog Vihar to set up a green hub outside their business premises and assured them of all help from the HSIDC in maintaining them.