Gurugram residents challenge DLF's planned 24 diesel generator sets near Moulsari Avenue metro station

What happened

On October 9, 2026, residents of a housing society near Moulsari Avenue Rapid Metro station in DLF City Phase III, Gurugram, made submissions to the National Green Tribunal (NGT). They oppose DLF's plan to install 24 diesel generator (DG) sets and cooling towers close to the station and their homes.

The residents' core claim is that the equipment is on a separate parcel that falls outside the area covered by the project's environmental clearances. The NGT has not ruled on this claim. The allegations are the residents' case, not findings.

The equipment

According to the residents' submissions, the DG sets have a stated combined capacity of 67,500 KVA. They comprise six units of 2,250 KVA and 18 units of 3,000 KVA. The plan also includes cooling towers and related utilities.

Residents say DLF stated that the nearest DG set is about 15 metres from the foundation of the elevated metro station, and that underground diesel storage in the high-speed diesel yard is about 60 metres away.

The clearances in dispute

The project is described as a 32.3-acre commercial project. Residents say it received environmental clearances in 2019 and 2023. They say those clearances describe the project in Sector 25, while a revised building plan approved on May 1, 2026 shows it across Sectors 24, 25 and 25A. Residents say authorities have not clarified whether the additional parcel is covered.

Residents say the equipment and related utilities are on a separate area marked 'part B' in the zoning plan. They say the Haryana State Pollution Control Board (HSPCB) consents to establish cover the 32.3-acre area, not that separate parcel.

Residents also cite developer documents referring to an earlier environmental clearance dated July 30, 2007, for a proposed Mall of India shopping and commercial complex at Block V, DLF City Phase III, Sector 25A. According to those documents, site preparation and excavation followed, but construction did not. Residents ask why a fresh clearance was granted in 2019 after the 2007 clearance expired after five years, why the 2007 clearance was not referred to in the later clearances, and whether excavation altered the site's natural contour.

Board consultation and replies

Residents say the 2019 and 2023 clearances required consultation with HSPCB on the DG-set location. They cite an HSPCB reply to a right-to-information request, dated July 24, 2025, which they say confirmed that the DG-set and cooling-substation locations had not been specified or decided in consultation with the board.

• In a reply dated January 8, 2026, HSPCB said that finalising DG-set locations and constructing the cooling tower did not fall within its remit, according to the residents' submissions.
• The same January 8, 2026 HSPCB position, as cited by residents, said the DG sets had not yet been installed and the cooling tower had not been constructed.
• In a reply dated March 30, 2026, DLF said DG-set installation was still in progress.
• Residents cite a March 11, 2024 DLF letter that denied construction of a power-generation plant or substation and called pollution and vibration concerns unfounded.
• Residents say Haryana Mass Rapid Transit Corporation (HMRTC) has described the premises as the 'DLF GIS', with a utility building constructed by the developer. They say this conflicts with the March 2024 letter.

HMRTC deputy commissioner Ajay Kumar did not respond to the newspaper before publication.

Safety and environmental concerns raised

Residents allege the DG sets and cooling towers could increase air and noise pollution and pose fire and safety risks to nearby residents and to metro infrastructure. They say the society has around 3,500 to 4,000 residents, and that a pre-primary school and a day-care facility are next to the site.

Residents also allege that no metro safety or structural assessment has been placed on record for the DG sets, the bulk diesel storage and the gas-insulated substation (GIS) infrastructure near the live elevated corridor. They ask that the environmental and safety implications be examined before the work is completed.

What comes next

The NGT matter is next listed for hearing on November 19, 2026. Residents have asked the tribunal to cancel the later environmental clearances and to take regulatory action over alleged concealment or misrepresentation. Those requests have not been decided.

Until the tribunal rules, the reported status is that DG-set installation was still in progress as of DLF's March 30, 2026 reply, and that the cooling tower had not been built as of HSPCB's January 8, 2026 reply.

What it means for buyers, investors and the market

No market or home-buyer impact assessment has been reported. The matter concerns environmental clearance scope, board consultation and safety, and the outcome is open. Buyers and investors in the wider DLF City Phase III area may want to track the November 19 hearing and any clarification of whether the Sector 25A parcel is covered by the 2019 and 2023 clearances.