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The sound of a constant metallic thud reverberates through the lanes in Phase II at Mayapuri Industrial Area. A man is hammering at the rusted bonnet of an old car. Beside him, another man bends over a motorcycle, dismantling its engine with his bare hands, while two others load metal bales of compressed car bodies into trucks using a crane. Around them, piles of bike body frames, still slick with grease and engine oil, broken wheel hubs and smashed parts of motor cars lie scattered on parts of the road. This is Delhi's largest scrap market, where end-of-life vehicles are torn apart in violation of all safety and environmental norms. Though these units were shut down in 2019 on the orders of the National Green Tribunal, which took cognisance of TOI’s 2018 report on the place, the illegal work began again. Locals complain that apart from occupying road space, the unscientific dismantling of vehicles is causing air, water and noise pollution. Hundreds of these dismantling units have thrived in west Delhi's Mayapuri Industrial Area’s Phase II, including blocks B, C, D, E, and W. Hundreds of vehicles, especially two-wheelers, are stripped down in mere hours. But under the rules, a registered scrapping vehicle facility (RSVF) needs consent and authorisation from Delhi Pollution Control Committee to operate because of a plethora of rules related to management of hazardous, electronic and plastic waste. These units do not meet the norms under the Central Pollution Control Board’s Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Facilities for the Handling and Scrapping of End-of-Life Vehicles, alleged Mayapuri Rewariline Industrial Welfare Association. In fact, Delhi currently has only one RSVF, which is an ‘orange’ industry or a moderately polluting unit, according to the Union road transport and highways ministry. When TOI visited Mayapuri on Wednesday, it found a large number of scrappers operating in C, E and W blocks. They had encroached on the public road to store the broken-down parts of vehicles, while terraces of the buildings held the front body portions of cars and trucks. Significantly, the workers were not using any protective gear. CP Jain, who has run a factory here for 55 years here, said, “This illegal industry was curbed in 2019, but the units have begun operating again in contempt of NGT’s orders. They dismantle vehicles in the open and keep the scrap on the road, reducing the four-lane road to one.” Rajiv Chopra, treasurer of the Mayapuri Industrial Welfare Association, added that the use of cranes caused prolonged traffic jams. Satish Sinha, associate director of Toxics Link, an environmental research and advocacy organisation, reminded, “In 2010, Mayapuri became the epicentre of a nuclear radiation scare due to the dismantling of a discarded medical device containing radioactive Cobalt-60. All sorts of waste are handled here.” Sinha said most informal recyclers use rudimentary tools and processes and do not have information on the composition of the material they handle, many of which can be hazardous and could release toxicity into the environment. “Vehicle service stations have effluent treatment plants to treat discharged chemicals. However, such plants do not exist here. If the soil in Mayapuri is checked, for sure it is contaminated by untreated chemicals seeping into the ground,” he said. “Dismantling vehicles in an unscientific manner is not only dangerous for the workers but also for everyone living in and around the area. The quantum of waste being generated is so large that it adds to Delhi’s air pollution load.” Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director (Research and Advocacy), Centre for Science and Environment, reiterated that small-scale units engaged in scrapping of ELVs needed to comply with the CPCB norms for safe dismantling and pollution control. “Their operations and waste disposal require continuous monitoring to prevent contamination of air, soil, and water,” she said. "These clusters require support to build common infrastructure for safe operations and treatment. At the same time, it is necessary to expand the capacity of the formal automated scrappage centres for advanced material recovery and material separation.” She added as these small-scale units were a source of livelihood and would continue to operate, so it was necessary to rationalise their operations and integrate them with the formal scrapping centres. In 2018, TOI reported how thousands of these units were running despite three NGT orders in 2013, 2014 and 2015 banning gas-cutting of discarded bodies, transformers and electronic waste in the open. Previous reports estimated the Mayapuri scrap market’s annual turnover at Rs 6,000 crore. Acting on TOI’s report, NGT formed a special task force to take remedial steps. STF surveyed the area and found that almost all units had “encroached upon public space”, that the “conduct of trade was injurious to theJ health of the community” and “vehicles remained stuck on roads for hours, causing huge air pollution”. In 2019, DPCC issued notices to 765 units that were in violation of norms. There were violent scenes when at least 30 people, including policemen, were injured after the scrap dealers clashed with a team of officials sent to seal the illegal units. Despite repeated attempts, both DPCC and the Municipal Corporation of Delhi did not respond to TOI’s queries in the matter.