By Shalaka Chauhan, Abdul Shakeel
A new waste-to-energy incineration plant is set to be established in Bawana to burn 3,000 tonnes of mixed municipal solid waste daily per day. Currently, Delhi burns 7,250 tonnes of garbage daily across plants in Okhla, Tehkhand, Ghazipur, and Bawana, with plans to expand the capacity of these plants by an additional 5,000 tonnes daily.
In total, the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) aims to burn 15,250 tonnes of waste every day within the next three years, surpassing the city’s projected daily waste generation of 13,122 tonnes.
Amidst these developments, the new waste-to-energy incineration plant in Bawana has received attention through a public notice issued by the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC). Titled ‘Proposed Waste to Energy Project (30 MW) adjacent to TSDF for Hazardous Waste, Sector 5, Bawana, Delhi, 110039’, the project is scheduled for a public hearing on December 27, 2024.
During this hearing, stakeholders will have the opportunity to voice their opinions. The DPCC has also invited suggestions and objections regarding the project, with a deadline for submission by December 26, 2024. However, there has been a lack of effective outreach in the Bawana area, and many residents are unaware of the hearing. This insufficient publicity has raised concerns about local participation and transparency.
This initiative has sparked growing concerns about Delhi’s waste management practices and the potential environmental impact of expanding waste-to-energy plants across the city.
As Delhi’s three landfills are operating well beyond capacity, they are unable to take in more waste. So there has been a shift in recent years to rely on waste-to-energy plants based on incineration technology that are set up and operated by private companies.
Designed to incinerate municipal solid waste and generate electricity, such plants were introduced in India after being challenged in other countries due to health, environmental and livelihood concerns.
These plants burn waste to produce steam, which is then used to generate electricity. However, up to 40 percent of the material burned in these incinerators results in hazardous byproducts such as bottom ash, fly ash, leachate, and fumes.
Municipal solid waste is particularly challenging to incinerate due to its complex composition, which includes plastics, organics, metals, e-waste and hazardous waste. Burning this waste releases a harmful mixture of chemicals, including sulphur oxides, nitrogen oxides, hydrochloric acid, heavy metals, and cancer-causing dioxins, furans and polychlorinated biphenyls.
Indian waste, often unsegregated and low in calorific value, requires additional energy for incineration, making waste-to-energy plants both economically and environmentally harmful. Delhi generates vast amounts of agricultural, industrial, and domestic waste, much of which contains easily biodegradable materials. Delhi’s first waste-to-energy plant, launched in 1987, failed within 20 days due to poor waste quality.
A recent New York Times investigation, which collected air and soil samples from the area surrounding the Okhla waste-to-energy plant, revealed that heavy metal concentrations were up to 19 times higher than the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) guidelines.
Over the five years between 2019 to 2023, the investigation revealed that one million people were exposed to the smoke and ash from the plant that contained toxic substances such as cadmium, lead and arsenic.
Long-term exposure to these pollutants can result in respiratory issues, cancer and developmental problems, especially for vulnerable groups such as children, the elderly and people with pre-existing respiratory or cardiac issues. This highlights the severe environmental and public health risks posed by the waste-to-energy plant in Okhla, Delhi.
Bawana, located in the northwest of Delhi, is one of the prominent resettlement colonies in the city, established to accommodate displaced and migrant populations.
Developed in 2004, it was part of a larger initiative by the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) to relocate slum dwellers from various parts of the city, including Yamuna Pushta, Pitam Pura, Punjabi Bagh and Vaishali Chowk. Today, Bawana houses more than two lakh people, with the promise of providing them with a better living environment compared to the slums they once inhabited.
However, the situation remains far from ideal, as the colony continues to face challenges related to inadequate infrastructure and access to basic amenities. In the coming four to five years, the DDA plans to further expand the population in Bawana, relocating an additional one lakh people from different areas of Delhi. This relocation is part of the city’s efforts to accommodate growing space demands arising from urban redevelopment and beautification projects.
The construction of the new waste-to-energy plant has raised concerns among local residents. Recently, people from Kathputli Colony were relocated to Bawana, and just three months ago, 104 families from Kali Badi, only 500 meters from the plant site, were moved as well.
The plant is being built just 800 metres from the resettlement colony, and its impending presence has sparked anxiety among residents due to the lack of information provided about its operations.
The uncertainty surrounding its environmental and health impacts has left many in the community worried. Most of the inhabitants of Bawana work as labourers in local factories or other parts of Delhi, contributing to the city’s economy while enduring difficult living conditions.
As the waste-to-energy plant in Bawana nears completion, residents continue to voice their concerns, unsure of the plant’s potential impact and waiting for more information from the authorities to address the growing threat to their health and environment.
While the Global North such as the US and the EU countries are moving away from waste-to-energy incineration, it is unfortunate that this toxic technology is being vehemently pushed in countries such as India.
If the proposed plant in Bawana comes up, this area will have the highest concentration of incinerators in the country, burning about 6,000 tonnes of garbage every day and disproportionately impacting the marginalised residents of the city.
The upcoming public hearing on December 27, 2024, is an opportunity for residents to express their concerns and demand a more sustainable approach to waste management. Suggestions and objections can be submitted or mailed to msdpcc@nic.in by December 26, 2024.
This moment offers an opportunity not only to voice opposition to the proposed plant but also to advocate for a shift towards more sustainable, environmentally friendly and economically viable waste management solutions.
The increasing pollution levels and waste-related issues in Delhi require a comprehensive rethink of waste management strategies. Instead of relying on technology that continues to pollute, Delhi needs infrastructure planning that prioritises waste reduction, lower consumption, source segregation and decentralised waste processing.
A crucial part of this infrastructure is the dhalaos— community structures used by waste pickers to segregate and store waste. These essential spaces for waste segregation are being shut down.
Emphasising the importance of waste segregation, composting, circular economy, and community-based solutions, such as the preservation and proper use of dhalaos, would go a long way in ensuring a cleaner and greener future.
The focus should be on developing a waste management system that supports both environmental sustainability and the livelihoods of informal waste workers to ensure that this critical community infrastructure remains accessible for waste segregation and resource recovery. (IPA Service)
*Name has been changed to protect the identity.
The authors are members of PAWA (People’s Alliance for Waste Accountability), a collective committed to advocating for just and sustainable waste management practices.
Courtesy: The Leaflet
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