[Reader-list] OKHLA’S ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE VIOLATED BY JINDAL’S POWER PLANT

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OKHLA’S ECO-SENSITIVE ZONE VIOLATED BY JINDAL’S POWER PLANT WITH IMPUNITY

June 22, 2013

ToxicsWatch Alliance’s Press Release/New Delhi, June 22, 2013

Okhla’s Eco-sensitive zone violated by Jindal’s power plant with impunity

Public health disaster imminent due to violation of eco-sensitive zone

Residents demand closure of the power plant

Disaster management plan missing

In a letter to Jayanthi Natarajan, Union Minister of Environment and
Forests, residents of Okhla complained against the operation of
municipal waste based power plant within the eco-sensitive zone of the
Okhla Bird Sanctuary and Wildlife Park and sought its immediate
closure.  The letter is attached.

This power plant of M/s Jindal Urban Infrastructure Limited (JUIL), a
company of M/s Jindal Saw Group Limited owned by Prithviraj Jindal
part of O P Jindal Group is facing bitter opposition from residents,
environmental groups and waste pickers and it is facing a case from
Sukhdev Vihar Residents Welfare Association in the National Green
Tribunal. Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF) has a White Paper
available on its website which is against such thermal treatment of
waste to generate energy.

The plant is situated not only in the proximity of New Friends Colony,
Maharani Bagh, Sukhdev Vihar and the business district Nehru Place –
but also several prominent institutions, including hospitals like
Apollo, Escorts and Holy Family and Jamia Milia Islamia.

Disregarding the vulnerability of these areas, this power plant has
come up deploying unapproved Chinese technology and in violation of
all the relevant environmental regulations and rules. It is connivance
or collusion in the face of such violations that lead to preventable
disasters.

This plant falls within two km of the Okhla Bird Sanctuary and
Wildlife Park (OBS-WP).  The plant does not have the mandatory
clearances from the National Board for Wildlife.

The letter says, “It is our belief that such clearances will not be
possible since the guidelines of the MoEF issued on 9th February 2011
clearly prohibit “the setting up of industries causing pollution
(Water, Air, Soil, Noise etc).”  It has been established at the NGT
that the plant is heavily polluting in nature.

The location of the plant in a Eco Sensitive Zone which is a protected
area of the Uttar Pradesh state abuts into the boundary of Delhi
state. This attracts the following MoEF guideline:  “Where the
boundary of a protected area abuts the boundary of another State/Union
Territory, where it does not form part of any Protected Area, it shall
be the endeavour of both State/Union territory governments to have
mutual consultation and decide upon the width of the eco-sensitive
zone around the Protected Area in question.” In the case of Jindal’s
power plant in question this has not been done.

Since neither Delhi state nor the Uttar Pradesh government has
submitted the required proposals to date, let alone hold mutual
consultations, the activities prohibited under the issued guidelines
would apply in a 10 km–wide eco-sensitive zone around the OBS-WP, as
per the letter of the Secretary, MoEF.

Residents point out in their letter that “the disaster in Uttarakhand
is being cited as the result of opposition to the proposed
eco-sensitive zone in that state by vested interests.  Surely you will
not allow similar gross eco-sensitive zone violations that could lead
to another man-made disaster – that in the National capital and within
10 km of Parliament.

The project proponent concerning the EIA and the lack of public
consultation have already been pointed out to the Delhi government by
Jairam Ramesh vide D.O. No 1-50 MOS (I/C) E&F dated 1st April 2011 in
his stint as environment minister. A report of a committee headed by
chairman, Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has also underlined
the violations including absence of industrial disaster management
plan.

ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA) has been campaigning against the plant
since March 2005 when it was first proposed.

For Details: Gopal Krishna, ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA), Mb:
9818089660, E-mail: gopalkrishna1715[at]gmail.com,
Web:www.toxicswatch.org

http://bargad.org/2013/06/22/okhla-new-delhi-eco-sensitive-zone/