Dikshit addresses ragpickers’ concern

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday assured a delegation of waste and ragpickers along with environmentalist to look into their demands in connection with the upcoming waste-to-energy plant at Okhla.

Delhi chief minister Sheila Dikshit on Friday assured a delegation of waste and ragpickers along with environmentalist to look into their demands in connection with the upcoming waste-to-energy plant at Okhla.

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Gopal Krishna, convener of NGO Toxic Watch Alliance briefed Dikshit about the economic pitfalls of waste incineration besides environmental concerns that emerge from it and pointed out the violation of the Supreme Court order by the proposed waste to energy incinerators.

Shashi Bhushan Pandit of the All India Kabadi Mazdoor Mahasangh, which represents some 50 lakh ragpickers from the Capital, said that waste-to-energy incinerators will destroy the livelihood of workers.

Dikshit said, “After environment minister Jairam Ramesh pointed out certain things about the Okhla plant, we had formed this expert committee to look into the legal and environmental aspects. I have asked these people to come next week when they can put up their case in front of the experts.”

Residents from areas falling within two-kilometre radius of the Okhla plant have been opposing the plant.