Sealing axe to fall on over 50,000 illegal industrial units in Delhi

The city is staring at yet another sealing drive, this time to cut down pollution and reduce congestion in residential areas. Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) has sent an exhaustive list of 51,837 illegal industrial units running in non-conforming (residential) areas to the three municipal corporations. The civic bodies have been asked to seal these illegal units in a time-bound manner on court and Delhi Pollution Control Committee orders. “We have been asked to submit an action taken report in one month,” said a senior official from south corporation’s factory and licensing department. As per Delhi Master Plan 2021, all non-conforming areas fall under the jurisdiction of the corporations where only 28 domestic small-scale industries, like matchstick, incense sticks and garland making, etc are allowed. The violators include electroplating, dyeing, pickling and forging units, among others. DPCC said there are 70,000 to 1 lakh such industries operating in the city.