Hindustan Times: New
Delhi: Monday, March 18, 2013.
Despite local
residents repeatedly raising concerns over the “harmful effects of Okhla’s
waste-to-energy plant on the environment and human health”, the Delhi Pollution
Control Committee (DPCC) has said two more such plants are under construction
and the three will together “solve the problem of waste disposal in Delhi.”
The pollution
watchdog of the Delhi government has given its consent to private firms to
establish one plant each at Ghazipur and Bawana.
But in
response to an RTI application filed by HT, the DPCC said, “There is no
information available on the harmful effects of landfill sites and
waste-to-energy plants on human life and Delhi’s environment in general.”
Residents of
Okhla have filed various court cases, saying incinerating waste to generate
electricity releases toxins.
Besides,
those plants don’t function well as Delhi’s waste is not supposed to be too fit
for burning because of poor segregation.
One such
plant had to be shut only after a few days of operation many years ago. Even
Delhi’s environment department website reads: “Delhi had one municipal waste
incinerator, but it never worked because Indian waste has low calorific value
and is unsuitable for incineration.”
The DPCC in
its reply also said there was no information available on remedial measures
taken or being taken to combat such effects.
The DPCC said
it did not know which agencies were involved in taking waste to the overflowing
landfill sites, where dumping has been banned.
Despite being
the monitoring and licensing authority for landfills and other waste management
facilities, the DPCC has also said in its reply that it did not have
information regarding how much more waste the Capital’s landfill sites can take
in.
It also
revealed there was no information on plans to set up new landfills.
But the
environment department website did hint at a serious crisis brewing. It said,
“…Delhi’s landfill space is fast running out, so there will soon be no place
the dump the waste, unless Delhiites produce less of it.”
It also read,
“…solid waste has become a big concern. Improper and unscientific waste
management leads to serious environmental and health problems.”
Dumping of
waste at three sites - Ghazipur, Bhalaswa and Okhla - has been banned. Delhi,
which generates 7,000 to 9,000 tonnes of municipal solid waste every day is now
left with only one landfill on Narela-Bawana road. In addition, there are some
composting plants and one incinerator.
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