There is an empty settlement at a short distance from Panipat, Haryana, which looks as if people have given up all hope of living here. Two kilometers away is the almost empty village of Khukrana, where now lives a small group of residents who say they have lost all hope of ever moving out.Both settlements are two sides of the same coin, linked by a common internal story of neglect and indifference. If the township appears dead, Khukrana wears a deadly veneer – of blowing ash and dust from a power plant and a cement factory standing on its margins.For nearly four decades, Khukrana – about 90 km from Delhi – has been living in the shadow of a thermal power plant, spewing fly ash into the air and sparing no one. And, since 2008, a cement factory has opened up on the border, kicking up dust that finds its way into every crack and crevice. This is a double whammy for Khukrana, stuck in the middle.

‘Look, the condition of my village’

The new township – destroyed before it could be settled – will be a rehabilitation colony for Khukrana residents. Most of it has been built. In 2018, the government constructed three anganwadis, four chaupals, parks, a large community centre, sewer lines, water pipelines, even a graveyard. But the people it is meant to serve remain mired in illness and uncertainty, their days spent with medical bills and deteriorating financial conditions.“Look, look at the condition of my village,” says Toshi, a 70-year-old resident. Nearly 60% of residents – all who could afford to escape the deadly emissions – have left. Row after row of houses are lying deserted. Once a thriving, fully functioning community of 2,000 people, it is now almost a ghost village.The curse of Khukhrana began in the early 1970s, when the Haryana government acquired land in and around Asan Khurd, Asan Kalan, Jatal, Sutana, Untala and Khukhrana villages to set up the Panipat Thermal Power Station (PTPS).Spread over 2,436 acres, PTPS once had eight units with a total capacity of 1,367 MW. Today, only four units are operational. The plant was introduced as a ticket to development and prosperity. What unfolded over the decades is a story of death and destruction, especially in Khukrana, located just 500 meters from the power plant. Before progress could be made, fly ash began to float, hang in the air, mix with water and soil, and cling to walls and clothing. In 2013, a report found that more than half of the people of Khukrana were suffering from chronic diseases.Most of the houses in Khukrana were built decades ago and show obvious signs of decay. But years of government assurances about relocation have left residents unwilling to invest in repairs. “Fixing our houses will cost us money. “New construction will cost even more,” says Suraj Ban, 35. We can’t do both.”Therefore, the village is living in slow decline. In Sitaram’s two-room, two-storey house, 11 people live under one roof, punctuated by broken wooden panels that are in danger of collapsing at any moment. In another house, soot has replaced the paint on the walls. The village chaupal, which was painted light green six months ago, has become completely black.Gram panchayat member Sunil Kumar says the local government school which was built with 10 classrooms – classes 1 to 8 – now has only four usable structures. Six classrooms had to be demolished due to waterlogging, cracks in the foundation and unstable ground. He says that those who can afford send their children to private schools.Abandoned houses lie unused or are rented out to cement factory workers for a period of time. “They leave in a week,” says Suraj Ban. “No one can stay here for very long. But we have been doing this for 30 years.”

‘Everyone here is sick’

Ask anyone in Khukhrana about their health, the answer is the same: “Everyone here is sick.” Allergies, eye infections, stomach disorders, respiratory diseases, liver complications are common. Cancer too. Sukhbir Singh, 65, returned to Khukrana after spending 35 years in the army. Within three years of his return he had to undergo bypass surgery. Six months later, he suffered a stroke. “As long as there is breathing, you will have to take medicine,” he says.Water makes the crisis clear. Its yellow color and foul smell comes out from the taps. People living closest to the factory talk about their neighbor, 35-year-old Krishna, who “can’t walk more than a few meters without struggling to breathe.”There is a gathering of villagers outside Maha Singh’s house, who are talking in low voices. His nephew, 44-year-old Satyavan, died of brain tumor a month ago. Maha Singh himself is undergoing treatment for throat cancer in a hospital in Panipat.The streets around Khukrana are lined with advertisements for cancer treatment and insurance. There is only one government clinic in the village – an Ayushman Arogya Mandir – which is open for a few hours every day. For most of the medical needs people have to go to Saudapur or Panipat. “Earlier, the government used to organize medical camps every month. Even now they have closed it,” says former sarpanch Tejbir Singh.

How did this get here

While acquiring land for PTPS in 1972–73, the government paid Rs 5,000 per acre for fertile fields and Rs 500 for dry plots. The villagers were promised jobs and compensation. But by the time the plant became operational in 1983, their expectations were met with reality.There was constant noise, ashes floating in houses, regular waterlogging and water sources being seriously polluted. In the early 1990s, villagers organized under the Gram Sudharak Samiti (GSS) and approached Panipat district authorities. But he did not get any relief.The situation became worse after the cement factory opened in 2008. “They open the vents and all the dust comes our way,” says Tanu, 30, who lives next to a cement factory. “We can’t breathe. Our clothes, utensils – everything is covered in ash.”In 1995, the GSS moved the Punjab and Haryana High Court. The case lasted for more than a decade. It was only in 2008, when the court ordered an independent assessment, that Khukrana’s plight became more widely known. Medical teams were deployed and studies were conducted. The conclusions were clear: Khukrana was unlivable. The court asked the government to relocate the residents by 2014.The plans were followed. Land was identified and funds allocated. The authorities had promised a full-fledged settlement with infrastructure, but the relocation did not take place.In early March 2026, Haryana Minister Krishna Lal Panwar distributed 445 allotment letters. Yet, again there were delays, as the plots were neither registered nor demarcated.

not going anywhere

The resettlement site is so close to Khukrana that one might doubt whether people would actually be better off there. Still, the air feels light, the roads are clean and free of coal residue, the trees appear lush and green. And breathing becomes easier.But the absence of residents has left the site in deep neglect. The community center looks vandalized – windows are broken, shards of glass are scattered on the floor, along with empty liquor bottles, cigarette butts and syringes. Electrical wires have been removed from the ceiling, and the main gate – which was once about 15 feet tall – has been cut into pieces and stolen.“Electric poles have just been installed,” says Kumar. “They will also be finished in a few days.” Villagers say they have repeatedly asked the authorities to appoint guards, but nothing has been done. He adds, “We don’t have the money to hire anyone ourselves.” And, even if transfer orders were issued tomorrow, transfers would not be possible. The main obstacle is money.The affected families have to build their houses in the rehabilitation colony. But where is the money for that, they ask. “The government evaluated our houses in 2012. After that, no revaluation has been done to adjust for inflation,” says sarpanch Naresh Kumar.Kumar lives in a 150sqft house. In 2012, the government had estimated its value at Rs 6-6.5 lakh. “I can’t build a house today for Rs 6 lakh,” he says. “The cost of raw material has gone up, as has the cost of labour. We can’t work with the compensation awards of 14 years ago.” Villagers say that in any case no payment has reached their bank accounts.Panipat Deputy Commissioner Virendra Kumar Dahiya says that the transfer will be completed in three months. He says the infrastructure at the new site will also be repaired before residents can be moved. But on the ground in Khukrana, the damage, for now, appears irreversible.