NEW DELHI: Residents of Sukhdev Vihar and other parts of Okhla met the environment minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, requesting him to shut down the controversial Okhla waste to energy plant that has allegedly been emitting high levels of air pollutants. Bhardwaj accepted their memorandum against the plant and promised to assess pollution data collected by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) of the plant area. He also said that the department will be initiating action against the plant if it was emitting pollutants beyond the safe limit.
A group of residents, who call themselves Okhla anti-incinerator committee and environmentalists, have been protesting against the plant since 2010. They even petitioned the National Green Tribunal against it. On January 12, DPCC issued the plant a showcause notice after residents complained of a sudden increase in the amount of flyash falling on their homes and vehicles. "I have heard the residents. I also called for all the pollution monitoring reports of DPCC. This is an old issue and if the plant is flouting pollution norms, we will initiate action." Bhardwaj told TOI.
Before handing a showcause notice to the plant, DPCC and Central Pollution Control Board scientists had inspected the site. They found that the plant had shut down due to a technical fault. It wasn't the general air pollution levels that had prompted them to act but "incidental emissions" from the boiler shutting down suddenly and in-built air pollution control devices failing to function.
Vinod Babu, scientist at the board, said, "We have inspected the plant many times and found that PM levels and other pollutant levels are more or less within limits, but the levels of incidental emissions are high. When the boiler stops working, the fly ash and dust falls on the houses in the area. We haven't tested the dust so will not be able to comment on its nature.," he said.
The board's earlier air pollution monitoring reports (of the plant) state that PM, hydrochloric acid and nitrogen dioxide levels were in control when the plant is stable and functioning but dioxin levels were found to be high.
"Dioxins levels aren't complying sometimes. This needs to be assessed," added Babu. Dioxins are toxic chemical compounds and long term exposure to it is linked to certain kinds of cancer.
For instance, CPCB's October report found that dioxin level in stack 1 is 1.06ng TEQ/Nm3 (toxic equivalent quantity) and in stack 2 it is 0.93ng TEQ/Nm3 when the safe level is only 0.1 ng TEQ/Nm3.
The residents have also submitted a memorandum to Bhardwaj where they have raised health concerns due to emissions of dioxins and furans. They have demanded that the board cancel the NOC given to the plant.
A senior official from the waste to energy plant said that they have already submitted a rejoinder to DPCC's show cause notice. "We have countered all issues that they have raised. Now there should be no concerns about the plant," he said.
