Haryana report reveals PM10 from industry, bricks and transport dominate non-CO₂ emissions; warns 37 % rise in pollutants by 2047

Introduction: a first-of-its-kind pollution inventory

A comprehensive emissions inventory conducted by the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB), in collaboration with The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) and the Institute for Governance & Sustainable Development (IGSD), has mapped non-CO₂ pollutant sources across the state for the year 2019. The report, covering a wide set of pollutants including PM10, NOx, volatile organic compounds (VOCs), methane and black carbon, is the first publicly released state-level inventory of its kind in Haryana. It emerged as a wake-up call for the state’s environmental management frameworks and places districts such as Gurugram (Gurgaon) under renewed scrutiny given their industrial and transport-heavy footprint.

According to the inventory, PM10 emissions in Haryana in 2019 totalled 411.5 kilotonnes, equating to 26 % of total non-CO₂ emissions. Industries contributed nearly 63 % (261 kt) of that total, followed by agriculture (88.9 kt) and transport (21.2 kt). The report warns that if current trajectories continue without additional controls, PM2.5 could rise by 37 %, nitrogen oxides by 47 % and black carbon by 43 % by 2047.

Detailed breakdown: sectors and source-profiles

Industrial emissions: The industrial sector in Haryana took the largest share of PM10 in 2019—approximately 63 % of state-total. This includes emissions from coal-fired plants, brick kilns, manufacturing units, cement works and heavy processing clusters. Brick kilns were highlighted as a particularly high-emission sub-source given their reliance on unconverted technologies, high heat-consumption and the lack of modern dust-suppression systems.

Agriculture and residue burning: Although agriculture appears secondary in the presented figures, the 88.9 kt figure represents significant emissions associated with residue burning (especially in the Jhajjar-Rohtak belt), farm machinery, diesel pumps and crop-processing machines. These sources tend to be seasonal but their episodic impact (especially in the post-harvest and early winter months) combines with atmospheric stagnation to lead to high exposures in the region.

Transport emissions: Transport contributed 21.2 kt to the PM10 figure. The report defines this as surface-transport (road diesel / petrol vehicles) and road-dust re-suspension rather than rail or aviation. Notably, districts such as Gurugram (with high-volume commercial logistics, highways and fleet movement) and Faridabad appear as local hotspots owing to intensive movement of goods and construction traffic.

Why Gurugram is a key focal zone

Gurugram, being a part of the National Capital Region (NCR) and hosting dense industrial parks, logistics hubs and large-scale construction, is one of the districts where the pollutant pressures are highest. Although the report is statewide and allocates data by district only in summary form, local environmental analysts have flagged Gurugram as one of the top three districts likely to hit the projected increase thresholds unless mitigation is stepped up.

The district’s combination of rapid urbanisation, high-speed highways (like NH-48), large warehousing and night-time fleet movement means that even though transport contributed a lesser share comparatively statewide, the local intensity in Gurugram is elevated. Dust re-suspension from construction, heavy traffic idling and industrial emissions combine to create leeward zones of high pollutant concentration.

Projected rise in pollutants: what the 2047 forecast means

The report models a “business-as-usual” scenario where current controls remain unchanged. Under this scenario, by 2047:

• PM2.5 concentrations could increase ~37 % over 2019 levels.
• NOx emissions could rise ~47 %.
• Black carbon (soot) could go up ~43 %.

The projections underscore the urgency of scaling controls, especially given that higher NOx and black-carbon levels combine to deepen smog episodes, worsen urban heat-island effects and degrade visibility and health outcomes in zones such as Gurugram.

Health, economic and environmental stakes

The release of such a detailed inventory comes at a time when the Haryana Government is under pressure to meet air-quality benchmarks for the NCR region and to align with national commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) and the United Nations Environment Programme’s (UNEP) air-quality goals. The health implications of elevated PM10 and rising NOx/black-carbon levels are well documented: increased respiratory illnesses, asthma exacerbations, cardiovascular disease risks and heightened burden on healthcare infrastructure.

Economically, the state’s growth strategy which emphasises manufacturing, logistics and infrastructure development may face increasing cost burdens from pollution-related illness, lost labour productivity, and regulatory penalties. Environmental analysts suggest that without corrective action, pollutant growth could become a drag on both industrial competitiveness (through pollution control costs) and urban liveability (through degraded air quality).

Policy implications: strengthening regulation and enforcement

The report offers several key recommendations for policy-makers:

• Brick-kiln modernisation: Accelerate transition to zig-zag kilns, adopt dust-filtration units, enforce compliance of kiln emissions; prioritise districts with dense kiln clusters (such as Yamunanagar and Kurukshetra).
• Industrial airborne-dust controls: Upgrade industrial stack monitoring, ensure brick/metal/chemical plants install continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS), and enforce ambient-dust standards with real-time display initiatives.
• Transport and construction dust mitigation: Enforcement of road-spraying, vacuum-sweeping of dusty zones, strict emission checks of high-mile heavy-vehicles, implementation of low-dust construction protocols in new sites (especially around Gurugram).
• Agricultural residue management: Strengthen farm-level support for mechanised residue removal and in-field retention systems, incentivise crop-rotation practices, and deploy targeted interventions in the harvest season to reduce emissions from stubble-burning.
• Local monitoring-and-data systems: Improve district-level air-quality monitoring, ensure full transparency of emissions-data, integrate local health-data trends with pollution episodes and involve citizen-science networks especially in peri-urban zones.
• Regional coordination: Recognise that Haryana’s emissions do not stay within state boundaries—wind-borne particulates and stubble-burning plumes from Punjab/Haryana feed into the NCR. Establish cross-state protocols for data-sharing, emergency mitigation during smog episodes, and harmonised pollution-control investments.
• Future-proof targets and regulation: The report recommends that Haryana set district-specific pollutant-cap targets and emission-intensity metrics linked to industrial output and vehicle-miles-travelled, alongside economic incentives for compliance.

Industry and stakeholder reactions

Industry bodies representing brick-kiln owners, heavy manufacturing units and logistics firms issued cautious responses. A representative of the brick-kiln association acknowledged the emission findings, but flagged concerns over cost pressures and noted the need for phased compliance schedules. Logistics firms in Gurugram pointed to the complexity of heavy vehicle fleet turnover and emission checks amid high freight demand. Environmental-NGOs, however, welcomed the inventory as a foundation for data-driven policy and pushed for stricter timelines.

Challenges ahead and next-steps

Despite the report’s clarity, the state faces several key execution challenges:

• Enforcement capacity: Up-scaling inspections, stack-monitoring, road-dust suppression and real-time CEMS deployment will demand staffing, budget and technical upgrades.
• Data-accuracy and temporal lag: The inventory is based on 2019 and sectors have shifted; real-time monitoring and annual updates are required to track progress.
• Balancing growth and compliance: Haryana’s development strategy relies heavily on manufacturing, logistics and construction—areas which also drive pollution; aligning clean-growth pathways is essential.
• Public-awareness and local mobilisation: Especially for peri-urban zones and rural belt workers, awareness of dust/particulate risk remains low and community-engagement needs strengthening.
  end{ul>Authorities have indicated that within the next six months a “district-action plan” will be released that converts the inventory findings into operational targets for each district including Gurugram, Faridabad and Rohtak.

  How this compares nationally and globally

  While emissions-inventories are more frequently published in many Western and advanced economies, India has lagged in state-level disaggregated pollutant data. Haryana’s release therefore marks progress and may serve as a model for other states. Nationally, India’s energy-related CO₂ emissions increased 5.3 % in 2024 — the highest growth among major economies. However, India’s power-sector emissions declined 1 % year-on-year in the first half of 2025 due to surging clean-energy additions. Nevertheless, the state’s non-CO₂ pollutant inventory highlights that greenhouse-gas metrics are only part of the environmental challenge; local pollutants such as PM10, NOx and black-carbon have grave implications for air-quality, health and liveability.

  Conclusion: time for action in Haryana’s pollution-hot zones

  The new Haryana non-CO₂ emissions inventory points to a clear fact: without targeted, state-level, sector-specific controls in industrial and transport zones—especially in districts such as Gurugram—the state may witness rising pollution levels despite overall national commitments to carbon-intensity improvement. The pathway ahead demands coordination across industry, rural sectors, urban logistics hubs and multiple agencies, backed by data, enforcement and public-policy clarity.

  For Gurugram residents and policymakers, the message is urgent: growth cannot continue unchecked in industrial-logistics clusters without commensurate investment in clean-air infrastructure, dust-control measures and emission-monitoring. The next three to five years will be critical in ensuring that Punjab-Haryana-NCR remains liveable and industrially vibrant.