Speaking in the Rajya Sabha or Council of States – the upper house of the Parliament of India, the Minister of State for Environment & Forests, Jayanthi Natarajan said that complaints have been received against the incineration of municipal waste and its possible harmful effects on air quality and human health.
According to Natarajan, as per the information provided by Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), un to March 6 this year a total of 27,469 tonnes of municipal solid waste has been incinerated at the facility.
A further 3250 tonnes of solid waste was said to be lying in the collection pit at the plant.
Natarajan further informed the House that DPCC is regularly monitoring the emissions from the stack attached to the plant.
Levels of oxides of Nitrogen (NOx) and Hydrochloric acid mist (HCl) are found to be within the standards, as prescribed in the Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000.
However, on four occasions out of ten, levels of Particulate Matter (PM) exceeded the standard of 150 mg/Nm3.
The Minister said that as per the Central pollution Control Board, the technology being used by the Waste to Energy plant at Okhla is as specified in the Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000.
Dr Martin Williams. Writing. Photography. Multimedia.
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