Massive Blaze Destroys Slum Near Basai Chowk In Gurugram

A massive fire at Gurugram's Basai Chowk slums on Saturday morning destroyed around 100 huts. No casualties were reported.

The people trapped in the fire were safely evacuated.

Source : ANI

A major fire broke out in the slums near Basai Chowk in the Gurugram district of Haryana in the early morning on Saturday. The incident occurred around 5:30 am. The massive fire engulfed the slums, reducing around 100 huts to ashes. No casualties have been reported.

The cause of the fire remains unknown and is currently under investigation.

The people trapped in the fire were safely evacuated. Upon receiving the information, more than six fire engines rushed to the scene. It took more than an hour to bring the blaze under control.

#WATCH | Haryana | Several huts engulfed into fire at Gurugram's Basai Chowk. More details awaited pic.twitter.com/HtTCZSX3wC

— ANI (@ANI) March 29, 2025

'GRAP Only Exists On Paper'

However, this isn’t the first time such fires have erupted, but it is a persistent crisis. According to a Hindustan Times report, residents have reported frequent fires, which are caused by the unchecked burning of horticultural, municipal, and scrap waste. Several petitions have been filed over the decade, citizen activism, official orders, and repeated imposition of Section 144, but despite this issue continues unabated.

According to an HT report, the fires have been systematically documented on October 26, November 18, February 27, March 13, and most recently on March 24—many of these occurring during the pollution-sensitive enforcement period of the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).

"It’s as if GRAP exists only on paper," remarked a resident.

Last March, national dailies reported a staggering 29 days of fires within a single month, with most incidents attributed to unchecked waste burning, as per the report. The persistent burning of dry leaves, garden clippings, and dumped municipal waste continues to choke the city, exacerbating air pollution even after the winter season has ended.

Due to the lack of decentralised processing or effective disposal systems cannot nearly handle Gurugram’s waste generation growing exponentially, making burning the easiest option.