Aafrin Kidwai 
Picture Credit: by Rostislav Uzunov from Pexels Copy
The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) has announced that a public hearing for environmental clearance on the Okhla waste-to-energy (WtE) plant expansion will be held next month.
Residents of Sukhdev Vihar in southeast Delhi had previously written to Lt Governor V K Saxena, expressing their opposition to the proposal to expand the WTE plant in the middle of residential areas. Residents have been fighting a legal battle for more than 12 years, demanding that the plant be closed or relocated. Last month, the LG directed officials to increase garbage consumption at the plant by 1,000 metric tonnes, resulting in an additional 17 MW of power production.
According to the Sukhdev Vihar Residents Welfare Association, the Union Environment Ministry has limited the plant’s waste intake to 1,950 MT and its power generation to 23 MW.
According to the statement, the ministry has issued an order prohibiting “any further expansion (beyond 23 MW power generation capacity) at the same site due to the proximity of Sukhdev Vihar residential colony.”
The Supreme Court is currently hearing arguments about the location of the Okhla WTE. The DPCC fined the plant last year for excessive dioxin, furan, and PM2.5 emissions.
“The proposed project expansion is one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly solutions for addressing Delhi’s municipal solid waste problem,” according to the draft EIA report. The project was recommended by the Supreme Court, the Delhi LG, and Central Empowered Committee, reports Devdiscourse.
