Start night patrolling to stop waste burning: EPCA

IT ALSO LEVIED A FINE OF ₹10 LAKH EACH ON CONCESSIONAIRES RESPONSIBLE FOR WASTE COLLECTION IN BAWANA AND NARELA

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court -appointed Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA), during a special meeting to discuss the spike in pollution levels, rapped the Bawana and Narela industrial associations and the government agencies for failing to prevent open waste burning.

The EPCA said these fumes are more damaging than the smoke from stubble burning. It has directed Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) to start intensive night patrolling to check burning of waste.

It also levied a fine of ₹10 lakh each on two private concessionaires responsible for waste collection in Bawana and Narela and also imposed a fine of ₹5 lakh on the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC) for failure to check waste burning.

EPCA chairperson Bhure Lal said the penalties have been levied as fumes from burning of plastic and rubber waste are carcinogenic. “The smoke from burning of these materials is cancerous. Industries cannot be allowed to burn waste in the open. The penalty will be doubled if the offence is repeated.”

The move comes after EPCA found large-scale open dumping and burning of plastic and rubber, resulting in black carbon fumes that spike pollution levels.

Due to high pollution levels, Bawana industrial area was identified as one of the pollution hotspots in the city last year. The AQI values in Bawana and Narela, as recorded by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), have remained in the ‘very poor’ category.

EPCA has given 10 days to the associations to clear vacant plots being used for waste burning.

However, owners of industrial units claimed that despite paying ₹12,000 a month as maintenance charge, waste is picked up only once a week. “As per the DSIIDC rules, the company hired to look after maintenance must collect waste from each unit on a daily basis. The waste is dumped into plots and burnt at night,” Subhash Khanna, president, Bawana Friends Industrial Welfare Association, said.

“We have been requesting the North Delhi Municipal Corporation to allow dumping the waste at the landfill. They gave us permission to dump the waste at the landfill only for a month,” Mohanjeet Singh, DSIIDC managing director, told the EPCA.