Ghaziabad Authorities Seal 17 Illegal Tar Processing Kilns in Major Anti-Pollution Drive
In a significant enforcement action targeting pollution-causing industries, the Ghaziabad district administration on Wednesday sealed 17 tar processing kilns operating illegally in the Baheta Hajipur area of Loni. The crackdown was conducted following numerous complaints about unlawful and environmentally damaging units functioning in the region.
Joint Inspection Team Uncovers Illegal Operations
A coordinated team comprising officials from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board (Ghaziabad), Loni municipal council, electricity department, police, and revenue department carried out inspections in Shakti Vihar. During the operation, authorities identified 17 factories that were contributing significantly to pollution levels. All these units were immediately sealed, and their electricity connections were permanently disconnected to prevent further operation.
"All of the sealed units were running illegally and contributing to pollution," stated Deepak Singhanwal, Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Loni. "We have observed in the past that mere sealing often proves insufficient, as workers sometimes manage to sneak back in and resume polluting activities. Therefore, our enforcement team took the additional step of demolishing several kilns to ensure they cannot operate again."
Strict Measures Against Repeat Offenders
The SDM emphasized that authorities will take stringent action against repeat offenders, including filing First Information Reports (FIRs) against responsible individuals. Similar enforcement drives are planned to continue in the coming days as part of a sustained effort to combat industrial pollution in the area.
This Wednesday's operation represents one of the largest single-day enforcement actions in recent months. According to official records, approximately 30 such polluting units have already been sealed by authorities this year alone.
Context of Loni's Pollution Crisis
The crackdown comes just days after Loni was ranked as the world's most polluted city in the World Air Quality Report 2025. Published by IQAir, a Swiss air quality technology firm, the eighth edition of this comprehensive report analyzed data from monitoring stations across 9,446 cities in 143 countries, regions, and territories.
Loni, an industrial township on the outskirts of Ghaziabad bordering the national capital, suffers from deteriorating air quality attributed to multiple factors:
- Industrial emissions from various manufacturing units
- Operations of brick kilns and tar processing plants
- Construction dust from ongoing development projects
- Vehicular traffic congestion
- Seasonal stubble burning during winter months
Widespread Illegal Industrial Activity
Official estimates suggest that more than 1,000 illegal polluting units are currently operating across Loni. Particular clusters in Amit Vihar, Krishna Vihar, and Ankit Vihar show high concentrations of such industries, with many units engaged in metal processing and e-waste recycling using primitive methods.
These factories typically rely on coal and other low-grade fuels to heat their furnaces, contributing significantly to toxic smog, heavy particulate matter, and sustained air quality decline throughout the region.
"These factories are involved in waste recycling but follow crude, unscientific methods," explained an official involved in the enforcement drive. "Most utilize coal and other inexpensive fuels for their heating processes, which dramatically worsens local air pollution levels and poses serious health risks to residents."
Earlier this week, similar action was taken when the administration sealed four air-polluting units in Loni's Krishna Vihar colony on Monday, indicating an intensified focus on environmental enforcement in the region.
