Delhi to get dedicated space for hazardous waste disposal
OVERDUE First treatment, storage and disposal facility in city after SC’s order 10 years ago
NEW DELHI: In a move that could aid reduction of risk to Delhi’s citizens, authorities have identified 14 acres of land for safe disposal of thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste that the city generates every year.
Exposure to hazardous waste that could contain mercury, arsenic, thallium, cadmium, pesticides and paints can be extremely harmful. “Such wastes can affect one’s liver, kidney and nervous system. Heavy toxicity can even lead to renal failure and in some cases it can cause decreased memory,” said Dr Suranjit Chatterjee, senior consultant at Indraprastha Apollo Hospital.
Delhi has failed to set up a treatment, storage and disposal facilities (TSDF) for hazardous waste in violation of a Supreme Court order issued about a decade ago. “A high-powered committee on pollution formed by Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung has asked the north civic body to provide the land to the environment department to set up a TSDF at Bawana at the earliest. The latter has agreed to oblige,” said a government official.
The last survey done in 2007 says 2,010 units generate 5,281 tonnes of hazardous waste per annum in Delhi. The survey says 7,584 tonnes of such waste is stored either at industries (as junk) or treatment plants (as sludge).
“It’s been a growing toxic nighmare. We have been trying to develop a facility for several years. Sites were identified but they could not be used because of public protests and landuse provisions,” said an environment department official. Adjoining states like Haryana and Rajasthan also refused to let their land be used even temporarily for treatment of hazardous waste.
Environmentalist Bharati Chaturvedi welcomed the development. “Delhi has become a storehouse of hazardous waste. But apart from building a TSDF, there has to be reduction in generation of toxic waste. The government must invest in clean technology, waste exchange programmes and extended producer responsibility.”
Currently, all hazardous waste is dumped in vacant plots that makes soil and water toxic. “Some of it is later sent to different places for reprocessing,” she said. Delhi’s pollution watchdog says the number of industries generating hazardous waste is coming down.“We’re also trying to shift all such industries in clusters so that their waste is not mixed up with non-hazardous waste,” said an official.
7,584 TONNES OF WASTE WERE EARLIER STORED IN INDUSTRIES OR TREATMENT PLANTS
588 industries North-West 15 industries Central 39 industries North
73 industries East Where are Delhi’s hazardous wastes produced? 261 industries North-East
WHAT CAUSES HAZARDOUS WASTE?
By-product of manufacturing Household wastes like batteries, bug spray cans & paint thinners
EFFECTS
Environmental: Soil and water contamination
Health: Risk of cancer, gene mutation, physical defects in foetus Municipal waste Construction/ demolition waste 265 industries South 329 industries South-West 416 industries West
REMEDY REQUEST
14 acres of land at Bawana in north Delhi to build a treatment facility
THE VIOLATIONS
2002: Environment ministry’s guideline of mandatory 3-months storage is hardly followed
2003: SC orders every state to have one treatment & storage facility.Delhi does not have one till date, either because of protests or land-use provisions Plastic waste Biomedical waste Electronic waste