Bhiwadi
This is a collection of articles archived for the excellence of their content. |
The state of the town
As of 2025
ShoebKhan, August 7, 2025: The Times of India
It’s not every day that one hears of the so-called “desert state” being blamed for inundating a patch of its neighbour’s territory, but the residents of Rajasthan’s Bhiwadi contend that they are the victims in the present case. On the other hand, those living in Dharuhera, situated across the state border in Haryana, argue that they’ve had enough of floodwaters flowing in from an industrial hub that has been rated the world’s most polluted in a recent survey. Their anger has found concrete expression in the shape of a ramp — 50m long and 4ft high — designed to keep the floodwaters in Bhiwadi and their environs dry.
Those on the Rajasthan side say the ramp has to go as it turns Bhiwadi into a lake during the monsoon; but their Haryana neighbours are having none of it. That has brought matters to a head between the two states, both with BJP govts in office.
Going Under
Bhiwadi is one of the jewels in the crown of Rajasthan’s industrial story. Located in Khairthal-Tijara district, it has grown into a major manufacturing hub of northern India. Spread over 5,300 acres, it houses more than 6,500 industrial units, including Taiwanese, Japanese, and French manufacturers, and brings in revenues of around Rs 17,000 crore yearly for the state. But the annual cycle of flooding threatens to clog the growth momentum.
“Two decades of construction have gone to waste. Rentals are empty, jobs have vanished,” said Piyush Sharma, a property dealer in Bhiwadi. Bhagat Colony, once a prime business district with banks, showrooms, and corporate offices, is now hollowed out. Flooded streets have forced schools to shut down. At Modern Public School, near the bus station, it’s now routine for classes to be halted due to flooding.
“Parents are moving their children out of schools here. The water turns into a stinking swamp and spreads disease,” said principal PK Suji, anticipating another season of distress until Sept.
BJP councillor Hawa Singh of Ward No.1 has stopped responding to calls. Bhagat Colony, which falls under his seat, is now referred to as ‘Dubh (submerged) Colony’. Bhiwadi locals squarely blame the ramp for their miseries. Adding to their frustration is the seeming lack of recourse against it.
They say that the faceoff with Haryana escalated in 2023, when then Haryana CM Manohar Lal Khattar laid the foundation stone for the ramp on National Highway 919. Before that, for over six years, Haryana would place debris and temporary barricades to block the water flowing in from Rajasthan. Now, the ramp blocks natural rainwater drainage, leaving the streets, colonies, industries and markets of Bhiwadi submerged for weeks on end.
The Other Side
It may be hard to dispute that Bhiwadi’s rapid growth has come at a cost. Among the environmental issues it faces are toxic air pollution and industrial effluent contamination. In 2022, a Swiss company declared that it was the most polluted city in the world, based on air quality. The pollution, in fact, is cited as the justification for the ramp by Dharuhera residents.
“For years, Bhiwadi disrupted life in Dharuhera. We faced land damage, contaminated water, toxic air, and health hazards. This doesn’t just affect Dharuhera but spills over to Gurgaon and Delhi. Since the ramp was built, highly chemicalladen water has stopped entering our farmlands and homes. For us, the ramp is non-negotiable. Haryana BJP stands firm; there will be no compromise on this issue,” a senior elected BJP representative in Haryana, who did not wish to be named, defended the state govt’s move.
Other Haryana leaders have been more assertive. On July 16, Gurgaon MP Rao Inderjit Singh declared that “not even a single drop of water will be accepted from Bhiwadi”. “Forget about removing the ramp,” he adds in a video that has gone viral. In another clip, from April, Singh warns Tijara’s BJP MLA Mahant Balaknath — present on the same stage at a public event — that “when we build embankments here, we will not tolerate any interference”. Such statements have enraged Bhiwadi’s residents. But while they have hit the streets to get the ramp removed, the politics behind the issue appears tricky. There is talk of the “strong BJP” of Haryana and the “weak BJP” of Rajasthan.
“Across the lane, Haryana BJP councillors called police and rallied locals against our protesting residents. The atmosphere is becoming toxic,” said councillor Singh of Ward 1. MLA Balaknath, who campaigned on resolving the ramp issue in 2023, is approaching the matter with circumspection. “Both states have BJP govts under our leader PM Narendra Modi. All leaders should speak with a kind heart,” he said.
Collision Course
Local leaders in Bhiwadi see the ramp’s existence as a a let-down by the higher-ups. Dr Roop Singh, convener of Bhiwadi’s Sarv Samaj Mahapanchayat, said their MP and Union minister Bhupender Yadav’s silence hasn’t helped matters. “His (Yadav’s) failure to respond to Rao Inderjit Singh in the same tone has left Bhiwadi residents feeling abandoned.” Calls to both Yadav and Singh went unanswered.
Others are for taking matters into their own hands. “This ramp is illegal and inhuman. I will march with my people and break it down. And if Haryana police stops me, I’m ready to take bullets in my chest,” said local BJP leader Ajeet Patel.
There are some who have sought to meet the allegations with counter arguments. “We treat our effluents and reuse the water. Haryana is legally bound to accept rainwater flow. We’re open to any inspection by a central agency,” said Praveen Lamba, president of Bhiwadi Integrated Industries Association. He also pointed out that the ramp violates National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) rules. That it nonetheless stands is proof, he says, that political muscle overrides law. An official in Rajasthan CM Bhajan Lal Sharma’s office said that “the CM is aware of the issue and has spoken to Haryana CM Nayab Saini, but nothing has moved”. He surmised that “central leaders fear that siding with Rajasthan may alienate voters in Haryana, Delhi, and western UP”.
Meanwhile, Roop Singh has given up hope. “After over a month of meetings and travel to Jaipur, Delhi, Chandigarh, Gurgaon, and Rewari, it now feels like we’ve hit a dead end,” he said. Locals, he says, have adjusted to the reality of wading through flooded roads and installing air fresheners and mosquito nets. “It seems we’ve even accepted the extra spending on seasonal diseases as part of life now.”
