After foreign news report on Okhla WtE plant ‘ill effects’, residents seek corrective action
Independent lab tests commissioned by the paper over a five-year period found that in the neighbourhood where the plant sits, the average amount of hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in the air drastically exceeded safety standards, citing 150 air and soil samples collected between 2019 and 2023
New Delhi
People living near the Okhla waste-to-energy (WtE) plant demanded corrective measures and strict environmental oversight on Sunday after a foreign media report flagged alleged violations at the waste incineration facility.
The New York Times published a report on Saturday alleging that the Timarpur-Okhla WtE plant was releasing smoke containing lead, arsenic and other toxic substances in surrounding areas, and dumping ash with hazardous pollutants in residential neighbourhoods.
Independent laboratory tests commissioned by the newspaper over five years found hazardous chemicals and heavy metals in the air exceeding safety standards in the plant’s vicinity, based on 150 air and soil samples collected between 2019 and 2023.
Residents said despite multiple violations, the plant was not only allowed to operate but recently got permission to increase capacity. “The plant has been fined several times for releasing dioxins, furans and other toxic pollutants. Instead of shutting it down, authorities have allowed its expansion to incinerate up to 3,000 tonne per day, making it dangerous to live here,” said U Bhardwaj, general secretary of Sukhdev Vihar Pocket-B RWA.
The plant, which began operations in January 2012, processes 2,000 tonne of waste daily and generates 16MW of power.
However, it has faced protests and legal battles over the past decade. The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and National Green Tribunal have flagged violations in previous years.
In February 2017, the National Green Tribunal fined the WtE plant ₹25 lakh on a petition by Sukhdev Vihar residents. The tribunal found the plant was not following benchmarks, notably for dioxins and furans - carcinogenic byproducts of chemicals released after waste incineration. The DPCC fined it ₹5 lakh in August 2021 for emissions above permissible limits.
Experts said Delhi has faced “mass poisoning” for over a decade because of this plant.
“Unregulated toxic ash dumping, particularly in residential areas, increases health risks. Dust clouds with heavy metals settle at homes, schools and playgrounds, exposing communities to toxins daily despite regulations prohibiting this,” said environmental activist Bhavreen Kandhari, who has joined multiple protests seeking the plant’s closure.
Bharati Chaturvedi, founder and director of waste management NGO Chintan, said: “We are getting one important policy lesson - if DPCC, with all its resources and adequate money, could not control the poisoning of thousands of people and the ecosystem, we cannot expect better from any other state pollution control board.”
A senior Municipal Corporation of Delhi official declined comment, saying the matter was sub judice. However, another MCD official claimed the report was misleading and said they ensured compliance with norms.