The Hindu : New Delhi News : Hazardous wastes still a threat

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Nov 03, 2004

New Delhi

New Delhi

Hazardous wastes still a threat

By Our Staff Reporter

NEW DELHI, NOV. 2. An year after the Supreme Court order on hazardous waste management, the situation on the ground in the Capital is much the same. According to a survey of 10 industrial areas conducted by Dilli Suraksha Samiti, a few "cosmetic'' changes have been made in the management of hazardous waste generated but no real change has been observed.

According to the survey, despite the October 15 deadline set by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC), none of the Common Effluent Treatment Plants in Delhi are functioning properly even now. Reasons include lack of conveyance system for the effluent waste, mixing of industrial effluent with domestic sewage in the common pipelines, changes in quality and quantity of the effluent since the National Environmental Engineering Research Institute designed the CETP in 1996.

"None of the CETPs are functioning properly. At most places, there is low efficiency and the CEPT is not designed according to either the quantity or quality of effluent that they are receiving. The entire system of management of the CETPs is faulty -- there are so many agencies involved, starting from Delhi Pollution Control Committee, Delhi State Industrial Development Commission to the Delhi Jal Board. In fact, the entire system of CETPs is faulty,'' said the director of Hazard Centre, Dunu Roy, adding that the report had been submitted to the SCMC.

The Dilli Suraksha Samiti -- with member NGOs like Hazards Centre, The Other Media and Chintan -- has instead recommended concentrating on minimising the level of waste rather than focussing on treating the waste. They have also recommended one nodal committee to oversee the working of CETPs. Criticising the design of the CETPs, the report has also recommended setting up of a technical advisory group.

In case of solid hazardous waste, many units are storing the waste in separate bags -- as directed by the DPCC -- but plenty of non-recyclables and mixed industrial waste is found "strewn everywhere in the industrial areas as well as in the landfills''.

As for other directions of the Supreme Court Order, only certain units have put up information boards, and that too with incomplete information. Also, because of the lack of specific format provided by the DPCC, there are anomalies in quantification of hazardous waste generation.

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