EPCA gets more than 12,000 tonnes of plastic and rubber waste cleared
NEW DELHI: More than 12,000 tonnes of plastic and rubber waste — which could have been openly burnt, adding huge amount of toxins to the city’s air and push up pollution levels further — were cleared and sent to waste-to-energy plants from the industrial areas of Narela and Bawana over the past few days.
“At least 12,125 tonnes of plastic and rubber debris were removed between October 25 and November 5 from Narela and Bawana. More were cleared from Mundka industrial area and the PVC market at Tikri. Mundka has already been temporarily shut since November 1,” said Bhure Lal, chairman of the Supreme Court-appointed body Environment Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA). The debris were collected and sent to waste-to-energy plants where they would be incinerated in an environmentfriendly manner. Even though industries running on coal and biomass have been shut down temporarily, such plants have been allowed to operate. The move came after EPCA members spotted ‘red dots’ on satellite images of NASA. These red dots indicated open garbage burning in the industrial zones of Delhi.
A team led by the EPCA chairman and officials from the Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) later went to the spots and found mounds of plastic and rubber debris. Many had been already set ablaze.
“These plastic and rubber debris, which are actually waste of the manufacturing units operating in the zones, were dumped in vacant plots. They were being regularly burnt,” Lal said.
When HT visited the spot on October 26, several such mounds of rubber and plastic waste were spotted. While some had already been burnt and ashes could be seen, the smell of burnt rubber filled the air.
“Plastic and rubber upon burning releases toxic substances such as poly-aromatic-hydrocarbons (PAHS) and dioxins in the air. Dioxins belong to the so-called ‘dirty dozen’, a group of dangerous chemicals,” said Anubha Goel, associate professor , department of civil engineering, IIT Kanpur, who specialises in environmental engineering.
According to the World Health Organisation, dioxins are highly toxic. Experiments have shown they affect a number of organs and systems if humans are exposed to prolonged exposure.
BAN ON CONSTRUCTIONS AND ENTRY OF TRUCKS EXTENDED
With government agencies forecasting that air quality is likely to remain ‘severe’ till at least November 11, EPCA extended the ban on construction, entry of trucks into Delhi and industries using coal and biomass till November 12.
“EPCA extended the ban after the task force of the Central Pollution Control Board recommended it late on Friday night and said adverse conditions could prevail,” said Sunita Narain, member of EPCA.