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| Advocate General to appear before NGT | | | Early Times Report
Srinagar, Mar 28: The Advocate General J&K and Commissioner Secretary to Government Urban Development Department shall appear before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Tuesday in connection with illegal dumping of garbage in the Srinagar city by Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC). The Tribunal had earlier slammed Srinagar Municipal Corporation for failing to dispose off garbage in the city. The Tribunal on Thursday warned the state government that it would order dumping of all trash in the Secretariat complex if its orders were not implemented within a week.
The NGT in its previous order issued in January this year had warned the state government that it would order dumping of all trash in the Secretariat complex if its orders were not implemented within a week.
The NGT had passed order a year ago wherein it directed the state administration to set up a waste-to-energy plant in Srinagar. However, the authorities are yet to set up a plant here.
It warned that in the event of default, the Chief Secretary, other concerned secretaries and commissioner of Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) would be personally held responsible.
It is learnt from reliable sources that under the garb of NGT order the Srinagar Municipal Corporation (SMC) and its administrative organisation i.e; Urban Development Department is planning install an Incinerator based waste to energy plant at Achan landfill site in Srinagar. The environmentalists apprehend that this plant would emit poisonous gases and ash having serious health hazards.
According to sources some top officials in Urban Development Department and Srinagar Municipal Corporation had a meeting with a known Urban Infrastructure company in Delhi recently and a deal has been fixed to install a Incinerator based technology at Achan.
Sources say that all this is done to favour few companies through illegal means and to mislead the National Green Tribunal (NGT) as well. Sources say that Jindal group has already installed a similar waste to energy plant in Delhi outskirts and the residents of that particular area (Okhla) are up in the arms against Jindals for putting people to risk. In past several rallies and protests were held in Delhi to protest against setting up of a waste-generating plant near a residential area, when the same is not allowed under environment protection laws.
According to New Delhi based environmental protection group Toxic Watch Alliance Incineration plants generate toxic gases.
"It is the same chemical which was used by the US to bomb Vietnam which is why we can say that it is a war chemical. The pollution created by the toxic emissions is making the air unbreathable," said Gopal Krishna from Toxics Watch Alliance in an interview with a renowned newspaper few years back.
Environmental groups, Resident Welfare Associations and waste recycling workers have been opposing the burning of these Dioxins emitting hazardous waste in energy incinerators, set up in Sukhdev Vihar, Okhla. One more plant has been constructed in Narela-Bawana and Ghazipur areas of Delhi . Pertinent to mention that Dioxins are a group of toxic chemicals known to increase the risk of cancer.
According to a recent Singapore report, incineration of garbage generates large amounts of heavy metals and dioxins and furans, especially from ferrous metals, plastics, textiles, and paperboard, which contribute significantly to polluting the environment.
The Okhla waste-to-energy plant started its trial run on January 3, 2012 as it received partial approval from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee during late 2011. Waste is sourced from the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) areas for treatment.
Experts point out that the Technical Experts Evaluation Committee set up by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), to study the impact of waste-to-energy incinerator plants clearly states that the department did not give full permission to build this plant in the middle of a residential area.
Representatives of German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) and Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi had underlined during a meeting few years back with the CPCB that there was a lack of transparency in terms of the environmental and health impact on residents. |
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