Groups Criticise Centre’s Exemption of WTE Plants from Environmental Review
Environmental organisations across the country have strongly opposed the Centre’s recent notification exempting waste-to-energy (WTE) plants from mandatory Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), in its notification, argued that solid-waste management systems such as WTE facilities are crucial for protecting environmental and human health, advancing a circular economy, and reducing pollution across air, land, and water.
Activists, however, contend that WTE plants often generate toxic emissions, including dioxins and heavy metals, and therefore require rigorous environmental scrutiny before approval. They warn that removing EIA requirements could lead to unregulated expansion of incineration-based projects in urban areas, potentially harming local communities and ecosystems.
Several groups have demanded that the Ministry withdraw the exemption and initiate wider consultations with scientists, waste-management experts, and civil society. They emphasise that sustainable waste solutions must prioritise segregation, recycling, and decentralised processing over large-scale incineration.
