New Delhi, Dec 13 (IANS): The Delhi High Court has ordered the city government to immediately close the bio-medical waste treatment plant in south Delhi as it impacted health of residents of a nearby colony.

Justice V.K. Shali, hearing a contempt plea against the Delhi government and Synergy Waste Management Pvt Ltd, the company which established the bio-medical waste plant, ordered its immediate closure.

The court's recent direction came on a contempt plea filed by the residents of Sukhdev Vihar who argued that on Jan 15, 2013, a division bench had directed the government and the company to shift, within six months, the plant but the order was not complied with. The plant is

Seeking initiation of contempt of court proceedings against the Delhi chief secretary and company managing director, the plea said that the plant, situated barely 30 metres from Sukhdev Vihar and other colonies thus violating a basic Central Pollution Control Board norm, is a threat to the health and life to the 10 lakh population living around it.

Appearing for residents of Sukhdev Vihar and adjoining area, senior advocate K.G. Bansal sought closure of the bio-medical waste incinerator arguing that being very close to densely populated residential colonies, it was creating poisonous and hazardous environment for the residents.

The plea said: "The bio-medical waste treatment plant is continuously polluting the environment and burning 12-15 tons of hazardous bio-medical waste per day which is injurious to the health and the life of the residents. It is also degrading the environment for all times to come."

In 2006, the Delhi government and Synergy Waste Management Pvt Ltd, had established the Common Bio-medical Waste Treatment Facility at Okhla area after obtaining consent from Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC), but despite opposition from the colony residents.

The plant treats and disposes bio-medical waste collected from different hospitals and health care establishments and it also has an effluent treatment plant for the treating waste water generated from the facility.