Context:
The Union Environment Ministry’s draft notification proposing to exempt waste management facilities from mandatory environmental clearances has raised alarm among residents and experts. The move, aimed at speeding up landfill clearance and promoting waste-to-energy (WTE) projects, has triggered concerns about unchecked emissions, public health risks, and dilution of environmental safeguards.
Key Highlights / Details:
- The draft notification (dated October 3, 2025) exempts Common Municipal Solid Waste Management Facilities (CMSWMFs), including WTE plants, from prior environmental clearance.
- Delhi generates around 11,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, of which 7,400 tonnes are sent to four WTE plants producing 85 MW of power.
- Experts argue that WTE plants emit dioxins and furans, both highly toxic pollutants.
- Residents near Okhla, Ghazipur, and Bawana have long complained of air pollution, foul odour, and health issues from these plants.
- A CSIR-NEERI (2024) study confirmed that incineration of mixed waste releases dangerous pollutants.
- The Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) and CPCB have repeatedly flagged weak emission controls and poor compliance.
- Critics warn that exemptions may undermine environmental regulation, allowing plants to operate near residential areas without adequate monitoring.
- Experts suggest that Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF) should be used in cement or thermal plants with high-temperature incineration and emission control systems instead of low-efficiency WTE plants.
- Activists have approached the Supreme Court, arguing that bypassing clearances violates residents’ right to a clean environment.
Relevant Prelims Points:
- WTE Plants: Convert municipal solid waste into energy via incineration; regulated under Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
- NEERI (CSIR): Premier research institute studying environmental impacts and waste management.
- Refuse-Derived Fuel (RDF): Processed waste material used as fuel in industrial kilns.
- Dioxins & Furans: Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) causing severe health hazards.
Relevant Mains Points:
- Environmental Governance: Balancing waste management goals with environmental safeguards.
- Health and Pollution: Impacts of unregulated incineration on urban air quality.
- Sustainable Waste Management: Promoting segregation, recycling, and circular economy over mass incineration.
- Legal Oversight: Importance of environmental clearance as a public accountability tool.