Jairam visits energy plant in Delhi after protests

New Delhi, March 31 (IANS) Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh Thursday visited an under-construction waste-to-energy plant in Okhla area of south Delhi following protests by some residents that the project will pollute their surroundings.

The minister, along with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) chairman S.P. Gautam, inspected the site and was given a presentation about the Rs.200 crore project.

"The minister inspected the site and will be meeting complainants tomorrow (Friday)," a CPCB official said.

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD), in collaboration with Jindal ITF Ecopolis, is building the plant where more than 1,000 tonnes of solid waste will be converted into electricity beginning July.

Delhi produces more than 8,000 tonnes of solid waste every day.

Ramesh had earlier written a letter to Delhi Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit to reconsider location of the Timarpur-Okhla waste-to-energy plant.

Fearing poisoning of their living environment, residents of Sukhdev Vihar, Jamia Nagar, Sarita Vihar, Maharani Bagh, New Friends Colony and Okhla had protested outside environment ministry office in CGO complex in central Delhi.

While the project is being seen as an answer to the waste and energy problem of Delhi, the residents fear that emissions from the plant will contaminate the environment.

They have also filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in court against the project.