Authorities in Ghaziabad sealed 53 illegal factories in Loni on Friday and disconnected their electricity connections as part of a continuing crackdown on units allegedly operating without required permissions and contributing to local pollution.
The action was carried out by joint teams from the Uttar Pradesh Pollution Control Board and the district administration across four to five areas, including Shanti Vihar and Nasbandi Colony in Ankur Vihar. The teams inspected 53 factories during the operation, according to the pollution control board.
Officials said most of the units were involved in the unauthorised dyeing of clothes. None of the factory operators inspected on Friday had no-objection certificates from the pollution control board or other relevant departments, the report said.
Regional officer Ankit Singh said all 53 factories had been sealed and their electricity connections disconnected. He added that the enforcement campaign would be intensified over the next two days.
The Friday action followed a similar operation on Thursday, when 26 factories were sealed in Loni and their power connections were also cut. Three teams had conducted raids in Lalbagh and Indira Colony during that operation, where officials found cloth-dyeing activity being carried out without permission.
The administration’s action focuses on factories that officials say have been operating outside the required regulatory framework. The pollution control board and district administration have warned that operators who break the seals and resume work will face criminal cases.
The crackdown also follows concerns over the environmental effects of chemical wastewater from such units. According to the report, the wastewater has been contributing to continuing contamination of groundwater in the area. Loni has repeatedly ranked high in pollution-related concerns, and the report cited an assessment that identified it as the world’s most polluted area last year.
The enforcement operation is taking place across densely settled localities where small industrial units operate alongside homes and other neighbourhood activity. The reported presence of unauthorised dyeing units places regulatory compliance, wastewater disposal and electricity supply under scrutiny at the same time.
The latest action brings the number of factories sealed over the two-day operation to at least 79, based on the figures reported for Thursday and Friday. Officials have not disclosed how many units remain under inspection or whether the sealed factories will be permitted to reopen after meeting compliance requirements.
The pollution control board said the campaign would continue and become more intensive over the following two days. Further action is expected against units found operating without the necessary approvals or violating the seals placed by the authorities.
