Shift bio-medical waste plant from Sukhdev Vihar: Delhi HC

After a legal battle spanning four years, the residents of Sukhdev Vihar in South Delhi scored a huge victory today with the Delhi high court ordering shifting of a bio-medical waste plant from the area, Harish V Nair reports.

After a legal battle spanning four years, the residents of Sukhdev Vihar in South Delhi scored a huge victory on Tuesday with the Delhi high court ordering shifting of a bio-medical waste plant from the area.

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The plant, Synergy Waste Management Private Ltd, situated barely 30 metres from residential area violated a basic Central Pollution Control Board norm. It had started functioning in 2006 despite protests against it by the residents of the area.

It processed bio-medical wastes collected from large number of hospitals, nursing homes and pathological labs in South, West and South-West Delhi.

“We direct the Delhi government and Synergy Waste Management Private Ltd to shift the bio-medical waste disposal facility to a suitable site within nine months”, Chief Justice D Murugesan and justice VK Jain said while allowing a petition filed by a resident PK Nayyar.

“In the event of there being a conflict between public interest and private interest, it is the latter, which must necessarily yield to the former, and we have no doubt in our mind that it is not in public interest that this facility should continue to operate from its present site”, said the bench.

Nayyar was forced to move the court after repeated representations to various authorities including to the Lt Governor and chief minister did not yield any result.