NGT tells CPCB to analyse air samples near Okhla unit

New Delhi: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) to collect and analyse the ambient air quality samples around the Okhla waste-to-energy plant once in four months.

A bench headed by NGT chairperson justice Swatanter Kumar modified its February 2 order in which it had asked the CPCB and the Delhi Pollution Control Committee to collect the samples every month.

The CPCB said in view of the expenses involved and the fact the board didn’t have any in-house mechanism to analyse toxic chemicals, the sample collection and analysis could be done once in four months. The bench said, “The CPCB is permitted to collect and analyse the samples of ambient air quality once in four months  and conduct at least two surprise inspections and analysis in a year.”

The NGT had earlier allowed the Okhla waste-to-energy plant to function and said it needn’t be shut down or shifted as it was non-polluting plant now, but told it to pay an environmental compensation of Rs 25 lakh for its past deficient operation. 

The NGT said the project proponent, M/s Jindal Urban Infrastructure Ltd, should pay the Rs 25 lakh compensation in terms of provisions of NGT Act for pollution resulting from deficient functioning/ operation of ‘waste-to-energy plant’ and its stack emissions being in excess of prescribed parameters up to December 18, 2014. The NGT verdict had come on a petition filed by residents of Sukhdev Vihar.