Okhla residents continue to breathe poisoned air

Although National Green Tribunal (NGT)’s bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar has been hearing the case of an incinerator technology based municipal solid waste (MSW) based thermal power plant of Timarpur-Okhla Waste Management Co Pvt Ltd (TOWMCL), residents of Okhla will continue to be denied the right to breathe fresh and clean air at least till year end.

Besides violating all the environmental clearance conditions and conditions laid down in the No Objection Certificate under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the plant Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, this plant has violated the Battery Limit as well. There is no dispute that Delhi’s municipal waste has hazardous waste characteristics. It is noteworthy that the waste incinerator based thermal power plant is located exactly in the vicinity of the residential colonies.

The plant is amidst residential colonials and institutions of national importance like Central Road Research Institute, Institute of Genomics and Integrative Biology and the Indian Institute of Information Technology. Such toxic emissions from the Jindal’s power plant in an ecologically sensitive area and thickly populated area has become a routine affair with all the concerned authorities turning a blind eye towards this illegitimate and illegal act. Besides violating the Master Plan, this plant has violated all the rules in the rule book including environmental clearance conditions.