New Delhi: The Commission for Air Quality Management (CAQM) seems to have overlooked the city's waste-to-energy (WTE) plants, which so far have no separate, clear guidelines for any category under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP).
The city has four functional WTE plants at Okhla, Narela, Tehkhand and Ghazipur. Of these, the one at Okhla is near residential areas.
While GRAP measures give directions for power plants, industries, hot mix plants and brick kilns in Delhi and NCR, specific curbs or measures for WTE plants are missing.
Currently, Delhi generates approximately 11,500 tonnes of municipal solid waste (MSW) daily, of which about 7,400 metric tonnes go to WTE plants. Okhla generates 23MW, Narela 13MW, Ghazipur 25MW, and Tehkhand generates 25MW of power a day by burning solid waste. This is already affecting thousands of residents of Sukhdev Vihar and Jasola, prompting them to approach Supreme Court to oppose the Okhla plant's expansion.
No official reply came from CAQM and Delhi govt on the issue. Sources in CAQM pointed out action point number 16, as mentioned under GRAP stage-I. It says: "Stringently enforce all pollution control regulations in industries, brick kilns and hot mix plants etc."
Sources asserted that the "etc" in the action point pretty much covers all similar sources, including WTE plants. When asked if any flying squad from CAQM or any monitoring team from Delhi govt had ever visited any WTE plant to ensure if the emission standards are being complied with, no reply came.
Sources in IITM's Decision Support System said that they were "not sure if the WTE plants are even included in the emission inventory of the city." "If they are included, then PM2.5 being emitted by these plants is be adding to the "others" category of the DSS. If not, then DSS must be detecting the emission and adjusting its contribution to other titled emissions, like burning, transport, etc. In both cases, we won't know the exact pollution they are causing," said an official, requesting anonymity.
Experts pointed out that more clarity on GRAP measures on specific sources was required. "GRAP rules need to bring more clarity on the action on polluting industries, including WTE plants. All polluting industries need to be within its ambit, and there must be clarity on what actions must be clearly defined on the obligation of the WTE plants," said Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director, Centre for Science and Environment.
Reports keep raising warnings on the plants. A report from CSIR-National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) submitted to NGT in July pointed out that the incineration of the mixed garbage often has low calorific value and high moisture, which leads to toxic emissions like furans and dioxins impacting human health and environment.
On Sept 18, Supreme Court asked CPCB to inspect the Okhla plant to assess if it has necessary pollution control measures in place. The order came after residents near the plant protested its proposed expansion.
"It is unfortunate that WTEs are not included even under GRAP 2.... Sukhdev Vihar and Jasola are severely affected," says UK Bharadwaj, general secretary, RWA, Sukhdev Vihar.