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From Waste to Energy to Pollution
Context:
Delhi continues to hold the grim title of India’s most polluted city as of December 20, with air pollution levels more than 17 times the limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
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- The hazardous particulate matter (PM2.5), capable of penetrating deep into the lungs, poses severe health risks, including respiratory illnesses, cancer, and miscarriages.
- Despite government interventions and Supreme Court directives, Delhi’s fight against pollution remains largely ineffective.
Causes of Delhi’s Air Pollution
The city’s air quality crisis is largely man-made. Key contributors include:
- Burning of fossil fuels such as coal, petrol, diesel, and gas.
- Biomass burning in industries and coal-based power plants.
- Vehicular emissions, kitchen smoke, and construction activities.
- Firecrackers and crop residue burning in neighboring states.
- The situation worsens during winter due to temperature inversion, which traps pollutants near the ground. Heavy winds also exacerbate the concentration of toxic particles.
Overlooked Polluters: Thermal and Waste-to-Energy Plants
While much attention has been focused on crop burning and vehicular emissions, the role of thermal power plants and waste-to-energy (WtE) plants remains underexplored.
- Thermal Power Plants: Coal-fired power plants contribute significantly to air pollution, emitting sulphur dioxide (SO₂) at levels 240 times higher than stubble burning, according to the Centre for Research on Energy and Clean Air.
- The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change mandates the installation of flue-gas desulfurization systems to cut SO₂ emissions by over 60%.
- However, repeated deadline extensions have delayed compliance.
- The Union Power Ministry has now sought an extension until 2035, despite the Central Electricity Authority missing two previous deadlines.
- Waste-to-Energy (WtE) Plants: Delhi operates four WtE plants at Ghazipur, Narela, Okhla, and Tehkhand.
- These incinerators burn garbage to generate electricity but release toxic particulate matter and gases, contributing to air and water contamination.
- Fly ash from the Timarpur-Okhla WtE plant contains cadmium levels four times higher than the Environmental Protection Agency limits and 10 times the legal dioxin levels, according to a New York Times report.
- Lax handling of fly ash and the absence of ecological norms worsen the environmental impact.
- Modern WtE technologies, such as stoker systems, oxygen enrichment, and direct smelting, could mitigate emissions, but there is little evidence that Delhi’s plants employ these advanced methods.
Disproportionate Impact on Marginalised Communities
- The burden of air pollution disproportionately affects marginalised communities living near WtE plants and industrial zones.
- These areas face heightened risks of respiratory diseases, contaminated water, and environmental degradation.
Recommendations for Action
- Strengthen Regulations: Enforce strict deadlines for coal-based power plants to adopt emission control technologies.
- Include WtE plants in the Graded Response Action Plan to mitigate their impact.
- Improve Technology: Upgrade WtE plants with advanced filtration and incineration systems to minimise toxic emissions.
- Regularly monitor and audit their operations for compliance with ecological norms.
- Promote Environmental Justice: Relocate polluting industries away from marginalised communities or invest in significant emission reductions in these areas.
- Enhance Accountability: Impose penalties on non-compliant industries and government bodies that delay implementing pollution control measures.
Without decisive action, Delhi’s air pollution crisis will continue to pose severe public health and environmental risks, undermining the city’s sustainability and quality of life.
