Gurgaon: Residents of a housing society near Moulsari Avenue Rapid Metro station have told National Green Tribunal (NGT) that a developer is installing 24 high-capacity diesel generator (DG) sets and cooling towers close to their homes, on land not covered by the project’s environmental clearances. The DG sets have a combined capacity of 67,500 KVA, made up of six sets of 2,250 KVA and 18 of 3,000 KVA.In their latest submissions, residents said the installation could increase air and noise pollution and pose fire and safety risks to nearby residents and the metro infrastructure.They said the environmental clearances granted in 2019 and 2023 covered a commercial project on 32.3 acres. The DG sets, cooling towers and related utilities are being built on a separate portion shown as ‘part B’ in the zoning plan, they alleged. According to them, there is no environmental clearance specifically covering this parcel.The residents cited the developer’s own environmental documents, which they claim show that the DG rooms and cooling towers were to be located outside the project area, adjacent to Moulsari Avenue Metro station and next to the society. They also pointed to Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) consents to establish, which they said cover the same 32.3-acre area and do not include the separate parcel.The society has around 3,500 to 4,000 residents, including children and elderly people, and a pre-primary school and day-care facility are next to the site, they said. They argued that the environmental and safety implications of a large DG installation and cooling towers so close to the residential area and these facilities need to be examined before the work is completed.The proximity of the installation to the metro corridor has also been questioned. According to the submissions, the developer has stated that the nearest DG set is about 15 metres from the foundation of the elevated metro station, while underground diesel storage in the high-speed diesel yard is around 60 metres away. The residents said DLF has maintained that no approval from Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) is required, while the metro authorities have placed no safety or structural assessment on record. They argued that the DG sets, bulk diesel storage and gas-insulated substation (GIS) infrastructure are being developed within metres of a live elevated metro corridor, without its safety having been examined by the authority responsible for it.The submissions also refer to the GIS and a utility building at the site. HMRTC has described the premises as the “DLF GIS”, where a utility building has been constructed by the developer. The residents said this contradicts a March 11, 2024, letter in which DLF denied constructing a power generation plant or substation and termed concerns over pollution and vibration unfounded.Another issue is consultation with HSPCB. The residents said both the 2019 and 2023 environmental clearances required the developer to consult the board before deciding the location of the DG sets, and alleged that this did not happen. They cited an HSPCB response to an RTI application dated July 24, 2025, which they said confirmed that the location of the DG sets and cooling substations had not been specified or decided in consultation with the board. In its reply dated January 8, 2026, HSPCB stated that finalisation of the location of DG sets and construction of the cooling tower did not fall within its ambit, according to the submissions. The residents challenged this, arguing that consultation with the board was specifically made a condition of the clearance.The residents also pointed to a difference in project details across the approvals. A revised building plan approved on May 1, 2026, shows the project across Sectors 24, 25 and 25A, while the 2019 and 2023 clearances, according to the submissions, describe it in Sector 25. The authorities have not clarified whether the additional parcel is covered by the environmental clearance, they said.On the status of the work, HSPCB stated in its January 8 reply that the developer had not yet installed the DG sets or constructed the cooling tower. In a subsequent reply dated March 30, 2026, DLF said the DG sets were still being installed. The residents relied on these replies to contend that construction related to the DG sets and cooling towers was continuing.The residents also questioned the project’s clearance history. The developer’s documents mention an earlier environmental clearance dated July 30, 2007, for the proposed Mall of India shopping/commercial complex at Block V, DLF City Phase III, Sector 25A. As cited in the submissions, the documents state that site preparation and excavation were carried out after that clearance, but no construction was undertaken subsequently.The residents asked how a fresh clearance was granted in 2019 after the earlier one expired after five years, and why the 2007 clearance was not referred to in the 2019 and 2023 clearances. They also questioned the excavation at the site, citing the developer own documents, which state that it altered the natural contour of the land.They have sought cancellation of the later clearances and action over what they allege was concealment and misrepresentation. They also alleged that placing the DG sets and cooling towers outside the approved project area violates the conditions attached to the clearances. These allegations are part of the residents’ submissions and have not been decided by the tribunal.The matter is next listed for hearing on Nov 19, 2026. Ajay Kumar, deputy commissioner of HMRTC, did not respond till the time of going to print.
