National Green Tribunal Directs Delhi Government to Complete Ghazipur Plant by June

Voicing concern over the issue of disposal of municipal solid waste in the capital, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Delhi government to complete the waste-to-energy plant at Ghazipur by June this year.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar directed the Railways and Municipal Corporations to ensure that dustbins are placed at convenient places in slum clusters so that the residents do not have to walk long distance for dumping of waste.

The directions came after the Tribunal was informed that the waste processing plant at Okhla, which has a capacity of 2000 metric tonnes, was already at saturation level as nearly 1900 MT of MSW was already being processed at the plant everyday.

"We are informed that the MSW Plant of 1350 metric tonnes at Ghazipur is to become operational from March 31, 2015. However, it is further informed that it is only the refused derived fuel (RDF) section of the plant that would become fully operational by that date. The power generation would become operative by the June, 2015.

"We direct that the authorities shall take all steps within their power to complete this project as stipulated by June, 2015. This plant should become operative to deal with 1350 metric tonnes of MSW everyday," the bench said while hearing a plea alleging that dumping plastic, municipal solid waste and discharging human waste on railway tracks was adversely affecting the ecosystem.

The Tribunal directed that the Secretary of Power and Energy Department, NCT Delhi and other concerned officers shall be personally responsible for the compliance of these directions.

"The Railway and the concerned Corporation shall tie-up with NCT, Delhi and start sanding their municipal solid waste to the Ghazipur site with effect from April 1, 2015," the bench said.