Subsequent to the submission of the report, an SCMC sub-committee conducted a surprise inspection in some of the industrial areas of Delhi (Anand Parbat, Wazirpur, Udyog Nagar, Nangloi, Mangolpuri, and Najafgarh drain outfall into Yamuna) and gave the following directions: closure of hazardous waste units operating without valid authorization under the Hazardous Waste Rules; constitution of a Supervisory Group for Delhi with a mandate to make the 10 CETPs functional in Delhi by October 15th 2004 and handed over to CETP societies; preparation of a time-bound Action Plan for setting up of Common Treatment, Storage & Disposal Facilities (CTSDF) for the hazardous wastes.

To assess the effect of SCMC's directions and follow-up action by DPCC at the ground level, Dilli Suraksha Samiti conducted preliminary surveys in 10 industrial areas of Delhi , specially looking at areas where CETPs are operational or are nearing completion (undergoing trial runs). The survey is compiled into a report titled " Hazardous waste handling and management in conforming industrial areas of Delhi, 2004" , and has been submitted to Hon'ble Supreme Court appointed Monitoring Committee (SCMC) on 29th of October, 2004.

The alliance has been active in assessing the state of hazardous waste in various industrial areas with the perspective to evaluate feasible way out for hazardous waste management. It has been making several submissions before the SCMC on the issues of the setting up of CETPs, disposal and handling of hazardous waste, development of Temporary Treatment and Storage Facility for Hazardous Waste in the city. It has been bringing about arguments that the solution to hazardous waste should not be adoption of various ends of pipe treatments but should incorporate waste minimization through process change, reuse and recycling of waste.

hazards faced by industry workers

Pollution cannot be only assessed on the basis of whatever is released to the environment, but on the basis of its impact on sections of the environment which are closely related to those toxic substances. The most intimately associated and massively exposed parts to those hazards are the workers. The health of the industrial workers is considered as the indicator of the safety of the industrial operation and environmental soundness of its processes. The Samiti has been attempting to reinforce this idea before various government agencies as well as the industrial societies and the labour associations.

In September, 2005 DSS decided to carry out informal verbal interactions and a few questionnaire surveys of the workers on occupational health and safety of industrial workers in Wazirpur Industrial Area of Delhi. The unveiled issues associated with the workers have pushed DSS to undertake detailed study of acid workers and transport workers who use tricycle for transporting steel plates as well as steel products in Wazirpur. The society has also started making enquiries into the medical facilities they can avail and their economy; thus the society came up with an idea that the workers are provided with the primary treatment by the Registered/Rural Medical Practitioners (RMP). Besides doing the surveys of the workers, DSS members had discussions with the RMPs in the area regarding the health situation of the workers as they are the most intimate persons to the health issues of the workers. From the discussions with the RMPs it was understandable that they deal with all sorts of injuries (major and minor), minor ailments like fever, coughs and colds on a daily basis. But they did not have much idea about the possible impact of the occupation of the workers and their health. DSS felt a need of orienting the RMPs about the occupational health issues as they are providing a sort of health care facility or first line of treatment to the workers and their families residing in the neighborhood. Thus the emerged idea of making awareness for OHS will be followed by orientation workshop for the RMPs and health camp for the industrial workers in Wazirpur.