Cement, Energy and Environment

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has laid down rules on segregation, proper collection and transportation, but it has not been implemented (see box: Reluctant municipalities and pollution control boards). There is no regulatory link between waste management and power generation. Hence, waste management and power generation does not complement each other except for receiving financial benefits under the Clean Development Mechanism and getting capital subsidy under the MNRE. Ill. Meet ing envi ronmental norms The MSW Rules, 2000 mandate that waste disposal facilities like landfills must obtain necessary clearances from the Ministry of Urban Development and relevant state authorities. Waste-to-energy projects must comply with acts and regulations pertaining to air quality, water quality, noise levels, storage of hazardous material, groundwater rn order to obtain clearance.14 Such regulations are necessary because operations of waste-to-energy plant are known to pollute the environment. To begin with, transporting waste to the power plant involves vehicular exhaust emissions. It is necessary to mention that transporting wastes to the plant has to go on a continuous basis in order to keep it running. Secondly, primary storage pits generate leachate (liquid waste) that is dangerous for the soil and ground water. Thirdly, firing of fuel in a boiler generates several pollutants like carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide and sulphur dioxide. Besides, when plastics and chlorinated compound find their way to the boilers of waste-to-energy plants, they lead to generation of dioxins, furans and hydrogen chloride which are toxic to the environment. After the incineration process, the ash from the boiler can adversely impact the environment as well.15 Development projects require Environmental Clearance (EC), which is given on basis of an Environmental Impact Assessment study. The process is mandated by the Environment Impact Notification, 2006. All common MSW management facilities have been categorised under item 7(i) of the notification. Disposal facilities like landfills and incinerators are categorised under item 7(d) of the same notification. Despite the rules and regulations in place, there have been a series of protests against waste-to-energy projects in India for polluting the environment. In many cases , the siting of these projects have been poor. The Timarpur-Okhla waste management project, (16 MW capacity incinerator), is situated right next to a residential colony. There are hospitals and other institutions nearby as well. Apart from the citizens who are impacted due to the project. strong opponents of waste-to-energy projects are also waste pickers. It has been proven through earlier unsuccessful experiments in Timarpur (1989) and Vijaywada that Indian waste cannot be incinerated as it contains more than 50 per cent of organic material which is high in moisture and low in calorific value. Hence, high proportion of plastics, paper and cardboard are usually added for the incinerators to function; but these are precisely the materials which the informal sector recycles. Hence, these facilities are seen as a threat to the livelihoods of this informal sector of workers." Not only do they cause pollution due to the inclusion of recyclable calorific waste material, they also rob off the livelihoods of the waste pickers in the ·city. After several rounds of protests from various citizen groups, the Delhi Pollution Control Committee handed a show-cause notice to the Timarpur– Okhla incinerator plant in New Delhi in January 2014 with regard to its pollution problem. Way Forward Poor handling of MSW by agencies concerned has made sustainable treatment of such waste a difficult task. If the quality of MSW as feedstock remains poor, regulations are not followed and local expertise is not developed, the waste to energy market may remain untapped. In the nutshell, waste to energy is not worth unless waste management is made effective and efficient at the first place. I. Know the waste: As per the recommendation of CAG in 2008, CPCB and MoEF must conduct a study jointly to collect, analyse and generate waste-related data for all municipal bodies of designated cities and towns. A mechanism should also be developed for periodic updates of these studies to make effective policy decisions. 11. Segregate the waste: It is important to segregate waste at the collection point for effective disposal, recycl ing or power generation. This is the most difficult aspect of effective waste management and can be possible only if citizens of the country understand their social responsibility and actively participate. To initiate such social transformation, a mechanism based on incentives and penalty should be worked out for segregation of waste at the source. In accordance to the CAG report , CPCB I MoEF 50 ) . ( r