MLA, MP in a tussle over waste plant

A construction and demolition waste plant in east Delhi’s Shastri Park has turned into a battleground between BJP MP Manoj Tiwari and local AAP legislator Anil Kumar Bajpai with the former officially inaugurating it and the latter demanding its immediate closure.

The plant, built at a cost of nearly Rs 20 crore and spread over 2.5 acres, was inaugurated by East Delhi Municipal Corporation mayor Harshdeep Malhotra and Mr Tiwari on February 29. Constructed over a period of eight months under the PPP model, the plant is to recycle approximately 500 metric tonnes of debris daily into construction material such as sand and footpath tiles. The plant built in partnership with IL&FS Environmental Infrastructure & Services Limited which would be run by the company for 15 years and later it would be handed over to the EDMC.

Mr Tiwari said that the setting up of the plant to curb air pollution and management of construction waste was a laudable step, but Mr Bajpai has complained to city environment minister Imran Khan that the plant has been opened despite stiff resistance of the local residents welfare associations as it had led to increase in dust pollution in the area.

The plant was inaugurated despite the Delhi Pollution Control Committee sending a notice to the IL&FS for non-compliance of dust control measures in accordance with the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal.

In the show-cause notice, DPCC member secretary Kulanand Joshi had directed the company to take all measures for dust control at the site and also submit a point-wise compliance report along with supporting documents to clarify its position. The DPCC had also directed the firm to pay Rs 50,000 for its failure in taking dust pollution control measures at the site.

The notice said that the DPCC reserved the right to enforce more coercive measures through concerned deputy commissioner (revenue) and deputy commissioner of police & discom in case of non-compliance of dust control measures at the site. An inspection of the site carried out by the pollution watchdog revealed that there was a lot of emission of dust at the site and very few sprinkling systems had been found to suppress the dust emission.