War chemicals from Jindal's waste based thermal power plant pose threat to residents of national capital

[gopal krishna]

To


Chairperson

National Human Rights Commission

New Delhi


Subjecr-War chemicals from Jindal's thermal power plant pose threat to
present &  future generation of residents of Okhla, Delhi & the
national capital region


Sir,


With due regards this is to draw your immediate attention towards the
ongoing protests against waste incinneration based thermal power plant
of Jindal's company located at Sukhdev Vihar, Okhla, New Delhi in
order to save present and future generation of residents from being
enveloped in a toxic gas chamber as a consequence of use of hazardous
incinerator technology adopted for generating energy from waste which
admittedly has hazardous waste characteristics.


I submit that India being a signatory to United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change,(UNFCCC), Kyoto Protocol, Doha Amendment
to Kyoto Protocol and Paris Agreement is under an obligation to
refrain from promoting waste incineration because under Annexure A of
Kyoto Protocol waste incineration is listed as one of the key source
of green house gases.


I submit that a White Paper available on the website of Union Ministry
of Environment, Forests and Climate Change states that Indian
municipal waste is not suitable for energy generation because of its
low calorific value. All the six such plants including the Okhla one
set up in the country merit probe.


I submit that the waste incinerator technology in question emits toxic
gases like Dioxins which was used under the brand name "Agent Orange"
by US Government against Vietnam as a chemical weapon during
US-Vietnam war. It has been admitted by the Union Minister of
Environment i  the Parliament. Even the Environment Impact Assessment
report of the project in question refers to the toxic gas in question.
India being a signatory to UN's Stockholm Convention on Persistant
Organic Pollutants (POPs) is under an obligation to eliminate Dioxins
like POPs.


I submit that adverse impact of use of POPs on ecosystem abd human
health is still being studied jointly by USA and Vietnam. The
continued operation of such a plant tantamounts to exposing residents
of the national capital to war chemicals in times of peace. The
project also emits heavy metals like Mercury. There is no way to
segregate mercury from the mixed waste which is being usec as fuel.
India being a signatory to UN's Minamata Convention is duty bound to
stop such practice.


I submit that given the fact that air pollutants are passengers
without passports it affects not only the residents of Okhla but also
the entire national capital region amidst conclusive evidence of
deeply disturbing health impacts of capital region's air pollution
load which has set alarm bells ringing all over the world. The
cumulative load from such plants in the region cannot be ignored.


If public institutions like the Hon'ble Commission do not intervene to
protect the health rights of residents including the members of the
Commission it wil end up delegitimizing itself.


In view of the above, I earnestly request the Commission to intervene
at the earliest with its recommendations.


Thanking you


Yours faithfully

Gopal Krishna, LLB, PhD

ToxicsWatch Alliance (TWA)

Mb: 9818089660

 Email: krishn...@gmail.com

Web: www.toxicswatch.org