Noida: The proposed
waste-to-energy plant in Sector 123, mired in controversy, is not an ideal option for solid
waste management as it adds to pollution, environmentalists have said. There is a need for decentralisation of waste management system and to also focus on zero waste production, they said.
Local residents have been demanding relocation of the plant, claiming that it violates the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. The rules lay down detailed criteria for site selection, making it mandatory that it should be set up as per the guidelines of the Union urban development ministry and Central Pollution Control Board.
According to the rules, the landfill site shall be 100 metres away from a river, 200 metres from a pond, 200 metres from a highway, habitations, public parks and water supply wells and 20 km away from airports or airbase. However, in a special case, landfill site may be set up within a distance of 10-20 km away from the airport/airbase after obtaining NOC from the civil aviation authority. The landfill shall not be permitted within the flood plains as recorded for the past 100 years, zone of coastal regulation, wetland, critical habitat areas and sensitive eco-fragile areas.
Chitra Mukherjee, head of programme, Chintan (an environment research and action group), said that wet garbage will rot and decompose and greenhouse gas methane will be emitted. “This is responsible for pollution and climate change. Unsegregated dry recyclable waste like paper, cardboard etc. will get mixed with wet waste and will not be recycled. This would also cause health issues and result in vector-borne diseases,” she said.
Mukherjee said that waste-to-energy plants are not successful worldwide. “We can take the example of Okhla waste-to-energy plant. This is also located in the densely populated area in Delhi. All the time the
plant emits fumes and gases that adds to pollution. The plant’s emissions are also not monitored. Instead of burning the waste, the focus should be on reusing and recycling the waste,” she said.
Environmentalist Vikrant Tongad also said, “The Noida Authority should first study the findings and feedback of some existing waste-to-energy plants as many of them are not successful,” he said.
