The lot of the garbage collector in New Delhi is in India as an example of growth without employment: 50,000 people lost their livelihoods because the city now leaves the disposal of private companies. The highlight: Waste incineration is promoted as "climate-friendly" project of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) under the Kyoto Protocol.
From New Delhi Ranjit Devraj (Inter Press Service)
For decades sought by many small garbage collector, the waste from the Indian capital of recyclable plastic, aluminum and other materials. They earned their living by their artifacts to sell to businessmen, for example, manufactured building materials from it.
Last year, the city government of New Delhi had violated a Supreme Court ruling against waste incineration technology, giving a first waste-to-energy plant in Okhla district. The WTE plant is part of a public-private partnership operates two plants for the production of energy from waste is to be soon put into operation.
"In the daily Okhla about 1,950 tonne of solid waste a WTE plant has been given a power of 16 MW commissioned fired. In Ghazipur is working on a ten-megawatt plant, which recycled 1,300 tons of garbage. A third plant with a capacity of 24 megawatts, the recycled 3,000 tons of waste per day, was approved in Narela, "said in March this year, the head of the city government Sheila Dikshit.
Garbage collectors protested in vain at the Climate Summit
The plant in Okhla was after the time specified in the Kyoto Protocol "clean development mechanism" (CDM) registered, because the energy supposedly falls to less CO 2 than in plants that run on fossil fuels. Garbage collector associations had in vain at the climate summit in Germany four years ago protested against the inclusion of WTE projects in the CDM .
Indian environmental activists accuse the city also intends not to play with open cards. The plant had been built against the original plan and use a technology that is not yet approved in residential areas and environmentally sensitive areas.
Dioxins and heavy metals are not an issue for the CDM
According to Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch Alliance, the system is against the judgment of the Supreme Court, which prohibits incineration."Moreover, the factory is located in the sensitive area of Okhla Bird andWildlife Park of Asola , which are protected by court orders, "he explains.
The residents of Okhla are worried about whether the plant substances such as carcinogenic dioxins, furans and heavy metals releases - side effects that are not taken into account in the CDM. Through a petition on the currently the National Green Tribunal - a dish for Environmental Affairs - advises, they want to achieve the closure of the plant.
Traditional collectors and urban waste: New Delhi transfers the waste now gradually to large private companies. (Photo: Mackenzie Mountain / flickr.com )
Hardly job alternatives
Investigations of the organization in the Ghazipur districts and Tughlaqabad have shown that most of the people living there can earn money with the garbage. "In the majority of families working at least one member as a collector or grader," it said in a 2011 published study ."Usually school children already spend an evening or two hours with the Order of metal waste. This provides an important additional income to the families."
Since the plant is almost completed in Ghazipur, attract many garbage collectors from the nearby slums in parts of New Delhi, where private companies have not yet taken root. "The fact that companies take care of the garbage disposal, not only has a high ecological, but also a high social price," says Dharmendra Yadav, general secretary of the human rights organization, Lok Adhikar , which advocates for the education of young garbage collector.
The wrong technology for Indian cities
"The children need urgently to school," says Mahabal Mishra, representing the constituency of West Delhi in the city parliament, told IPS. "And we need permanent homes for the garbage collector."
But for Gopal Krishna of Toxics Watch is about much more. The transfer of waste management companies to bring technologies mainly with themselves, which are expensive, short-sighted and dangerous for the environment - especially in a densely populated metropolis such as the Indian capital.
"WTE plants need high calorific value waste such as paper, cardboard, plastics and composite packaging, but in a city like Delhi all these materials are recycled so that nothing is left, what is burning," says Krishna. "Under the current laws, it is even illegal to burn plastics, which have a high calorific value."
And on the website of the urban environment management says, "Delhi once had an incinerator, which never worked because Indian waste has a low calorific value and are unsuitable for burning."
The garbage collector from Delhi to work not only efficient but also environmentally friendly.(Photo: Mackenzie Mountain / flickr.com )
According to Dharmendra Yadav had helped the garbage collectors, when its activities were formalized: You should be paid for a garbage collection principle for the door. It is much cheaper to build than expensive incinerators, says Yadav. "But he who listens to such proposals?"
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