ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
To
Shri Najeeb Jung
Hon’ble Lt. Governor
Hon’ble Lt. Governor
National Capital Territory of Delhi
Raj Niwas
Delhi
Raj Niwas
Delhi
Date: 22 February, 2014
Through Smt. Nutan Guha Biswas
Principal Secretary to Lt Governor
Subject-Okhla colonies turning into toxic gas chamber due to Jindal’s waste incinerator based power plant, photographs of Feb 21, 2014 attached
Subject-Okhla colonies turning into toxic gas chamber due to Jindal’s waste incinerator based power plant, photographs of Feb 21, 2014 attached
Sir,
This is to
draw your urgent attention towards the fact that colonies in Okhla are turning into toxic gas chamber due
to the Okhla Waste to Energy Incinerator plant by JITF Urban
Infrastructure Limited (Jindal Ecopolis) that has violated every rule in the
rule book. A polluting waste to energy plant in the residential area ignores the
experience of Bhopal Gas Leak Disaster.
We submit that
the plant is using untested and unapproved Chinese incinerator technology in
complete violation all laws and environmental clearance of 2007 including its
own project design document and environment impact assessment report. Chinese
technology provider is from Hangzhou New Century Company Ltd of Hangzhou Boiler
Group. The power plant in question has been set up by M/s Jindal Urban
Infrastructure Limited (JUIL), a company of M/s Jindal Saw Group Limited owned
by Prithviraj Jindal. Jindal’s waste incinerator based
power plant.
We submit that in a letter to Shri J.S.Kamyotra, Member
Secretary, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and Member Secretary, Delhi
Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), Dr U C Bahri, a member of Okhla Anti
Incinerator Committee (OAIC) wrote, “Living in Sukhdev Vihar and adjacent
colonies is becoming impossible. Okhla WTE plant keeps on releasing smoke along
with bad smell. we expect a strong action Photographs taken today dt
21-02-2014 attached.”
We submit that in another letter dated February 21
sent to Registrar, National Green Tribunal, Advocate Rakesh Kumar wrote, “Every
day the Okhla Waste to Energy Plant rains on the residents of Sukhdev Vihar
toxic ash with unbearable, nauseating and headache causing polluted air. Today
it is particularly bad. Since yesterday night, in every single breathe there is
burning smell. We have been completely deprived of our right to clean
air. Entreat you on behalf of all the residents to protect us from being
gassed in this inhuman manner.”
We are
confident that in face of wanton greed of the JITF Urban Infrastructure Limited (Jindal
Ecopolis) for profit at any human cost, you
will protect the health of the present and future generation of residents of
Delhi’s Okhla.
We wish to
place on record the damning fact that the environmental clearance to this
project was given when Mr A Raja was the Union Minister for Environment &
Forests ignoring the protests of environmental groups, residents and waste recycling
workers.
We wish to
inform you that your office was informed about this impending public health
crisis in January 2011 as well when a rally was held and its delegation submitted
the memorandum seeking closure of the plant in question.
We submit that
this plant is releasing war chemicals like dioxins and furans, persistent
organic pollutants (POPs), which United State used in Vietnam War under the
brand name Agent Orange. It may be noted that POPs is regulated by UN laws
Stockholm Convention on POPs that lists incinerators as emitters of POPs like
Dioxins.
We submit that the Grievances against the Jindal’s municipal waste incinerator
and biomedical waste incinerator have been registered with Grievance No:
2014747 and 20142534 at Delhi Chief Minister's office and the Delhi Environment
Minister had initiated steps to deal with the problem.
We submit that
air pollutants are passengers without passports. Okhla colonies which are
getting engulfed from the dust and pollution from the plant include New Friends
Colony, Maharani Bagh, Ishwar Nagar, Sukhdev Vihar, Jamia Nagar, Jasola Vihar
and Sarita Vihar Jamia Millia Islamia university, Holy Family hospital and
several other colonies and institutions. While the Supreme Court has only
allowed pilot projects using the technology to be set up in India, the Okhla
plant is in violation of the court’s order as has been revealed through RTI
replies.
We urge you to
take cognizance of the sad plight at waste to energy site in Gandhamguda
village in Ranga Reddy district of Andhra Pradesh which had the same
technology. While the incinerator was in operation, the village was covered by
a heavy shroud of dark smoke. After the plant came up, local doctors started
detecting case of problems not found before— skin rashes, asthma, respiratory
problems and some cases of stillborns. In a statement, Gandhamguda sarpanch Smt
D. Shakuntala said: ‘‘Everyone in Peerancheru Gram Panchayat and its adjoining
regions is now contaminated with harmful pollutants and symptoms are visible in
the form of brain fever, vomiting, jaundice, asthma, miscarriages,
infertility.’’ Similar fate awaits residents of Delhi. It would not be appropriate to turn Delhi residents as
guinea pigs for experimental and unapproved Chinese incinerator technology.
We submit that
unmindful of the public protest, New Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) had
permitted Jindal Ecopolis to set up this plant. This will distort capital
city’s waste management beyond repair. The NDMC signed an MOU with M/s ILFS in August 2005
(Council Resolution No 6(W-1), Dated 26/8/05) for setting up a project for
complete utilization of solid waste. The project was ambiguously as Public
Private Partnership (PPP) project for Development of an Integrated Waste
Treatment Complex at Okhla Compost Plant site. Till April 2005, Timarpur
Waste Management Company Limited (TWMCL), a special
purpose vehicle of ILFS was to undertake the task. To begin with TWMCL entered into a 25-year concession agreement with the Municipal
Corporation of Delhi and the New Delhi Municipal Council under a PPP framework
to set up a 650 tons-per-day (TPD) Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) processing facility,
a 50 TPD bio-methanation plant, a 6 MW power plant, and a 6 million gallons per
day (MGD) sewage treatment plant at a total cost of Rs. 591.27 million (US$
13.13 million). Later, Unique Waste Processing Company, a subsidiary of
Infrastructure Leasing and Financial Services (IL&FS) and Andhra Pradesh
Technology Development Centre (APTDC) has incorporated Timarpur-Okhla Waste
Management Company for developing the project for processing municipal waste
and also to produce electricity at two locations namely Timarpur and Okhla, at
the site at Okhla that is adjacent to defunct Okhla Sewage Treatment Plant
(STP). The TIMARPUR-OKHLA Waste Management Company
Private Limited of ILFS transferred the task to Jindal Ecopolis after
environmental clearance process was undertaken by ILFS. Since then both MoU and
environmental clearance has been amended several times seemingly to corner subsidy
of Rs 1.5 crore/ MW for waste to energy projects from the Ministry of New &
Renewable Energy in contempt of Supreme Court’s order of 2005 ad 2007 in the
Writ Petition (Civil) 888 of 1996. The next date of hearing is on April 22, 2014
in which a “Contempt Petition” is pending.
We submit that
in the presence of A.S. Chandihok, Additional Solicitor General, the bench
headed by the Chief Justice, Delhi High Court in an order dated 15th January,
2010 observed, “that the project in question” and “the location of the pilot
project in Delhi was neither recommended by the Expert Committee nor approved
by the Supreme Court.”
We submit that
the Timarpur-Okhla carbon credit project was registered on 10th November, 2007 although
it is a green house emitting waste incineration project.
We submit that
this project has met with protest rallies from the residents of Okhla. Waste
incineration systems (including waste pelletisation, pyrolysis and gasification
systems) produce pollutants, which are detrimental to health & environment.
It is expensive and does not eliminate or adequately control the toxic
emissions from today's chemically complex municipal discards. Even new
incinerators release toxic metals, dioxins, and acid gases. Far from
eliminating the need for a landfill, waste incinerator systems produce toxic
ash and other residues. Such projects disperse incinerator ash throughout the
environment and subsequently enter our food chain. It prohibits the development of local waste recycling-based
businesses.
We submit that
the plant is functioning contrary to national legislations and norms such as
Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000 because according
to these Rules it is illegal to incinerate chlorinated plastics (like PVC) and
wastes chemically treated with any chlorinated disinfectant and recommendations
of the Supreme Court constituted committee on waste management.
We submit that
this toxic plant sets a very bad precedent for other cities as well. It has
given birth to serious concerns about the health and safety of the citizens.
In view of
these grave concerns, we request you to direct the concerned authorities to
take preventive steps in order to save Delhi's Okhla residents and the bird
sanctuary from highly polluting plant in residential areas by closing this plant
at the earliest before it is too late.
Thanking You
Yours Sincerely
Gopal Krishna
ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)
First Floor,
124A/6, Katwaria Sarai,
New Delhi- 110016
Tel:91-11-65663958
Fax: 91-11-26517814
Mb: 9818089660
Website: www.toxicswatch.org
Cc
Ms. Sarita Chaudhary, Mayor,
South Delhi Municipal Corporation
Shri Manish Gupta, Commissioner,
South Delhi Municipal Corporation
Shri
Jalaj Shrivastava, Chairperson, New Delhi Municipal Council
Shri
Vikas Anand, Secretary, New Delhi Municipal Council
Dr. Harsh Vardhan, State
President, Delhi State, Bhartiya Janta Party
Shri Arvind Kejriwal,
Aam Aadmi Party
Shri Arvinder Singh
Lovely, President, Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee (DPCC)
Smt. Swati Sharma,
Additional Secretary to LG
Shri R. N. Sharma,
Additional Secretary to LG
Shri Ajay Chaudhary, OSD
to LG
Shri Vishwendra, Private
Secretary to LG
Shri. Sumanta
Chakraborty, Deputy Secretary (Administration)
Chairperson, Association
of Municipalities and Development Authorities (AMDA), Delhi
+ comments + 1 comments
The weather is amazing, we have a beautiful breeze blowing in our direction.
BUT, the smell inn that breeze is so toxic you are gagging from reflex. Jindal’s Waste Incinerator plant in Okhla has made life hell for the citizens around it for the past few year.
The degree of toxicity in the air, water and dust is so alarming now that the floor we walk on collects BLACK dust, our clothes have starting getting black patches if exposed to the same air to dry after washing?
Has this plant been set up to create more patients for nearby hospitals or to make life better for the citizens of the city?
After multiple media and law and order attention this plant still seems to be hurling out humungous amount of toxic pollution on a daily bases stopped by maybe a lunch hour.
Help is needed at the earliest from our government to stop this aerial and deadly problem.
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