In a heartfelt letter to the CJI on May 20, women protesters from Sanoth village urged, “Please protect our right to live,” saying they feel “forgotten” and forced to survive in “Delhi’s dumping ground.”
For the past 150 days, a group of women mothers, grandmothers, and homemakers from Sanoth village in Delhi’s Narela zone have been peacefully protesting against the establishment of a second waste-to-energy (WTE) plant in their area.
Locals are already grappling with health hazards related to pollution from an existing WTE plant.
With hands clasped in prayer and steadfast determination, they have made a heartfelt appeal to the Chief Justice of India (CJI).
In a letter sent on May 20, the women describe their lives as “forgotten,” forced to endure what they refer to as “Delhi’s dumping ground.”
The letter states,
“Garbage from across the city comes here, into our homes, into our skies, and into our lungs,”
Sanoth village, located on the outskirts of Delhi in Bawana, is burdened by a large WTE plant that incinerates thousands of tonnes of unsegregated municipal waste daily.
Residents claim this has rendered the air toxic, causing children to cough through the night, elderly individuals to suffer from respiratory and kidney issues, and young women to fall ill at alarming rates.
Vimla, a local resident, stated,
“We already have three dumping grounds and countless polluting industries; where are we supposed to go now? My daughter complains of stinging eyes and chest pain. Is this the cost of living in our own village?”
Despite reaching out to their local MLA and MP, the women report that their protests have gone unanswered.
No officials have visited them, and now they face the impending approval of a second WTE plant just 800 meters from their village, which will handle an additional 3,000 tonnes of waste daily.
Their letter to the CJI warns,
“Another fire. Another furnace,”
“It won’t just burn garbage; it will burn what little peace we have left.”
The women share how their children, instead of enjoying outdoor play, struggle to run even short distances.
They express,
“Their tiny lungs are already damaged. We may not have data or reports, but this is our everyday reality. We know what it feels like to sit beside a sick child and wonder if the air itself is killing them,”
Since their protest began on December 20, the women of Sanoth have endured Delhi’s harsh winter and scorching summer, refusing to back down. Their demand is both simple and profound: the right to breathe clean air.
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In their letter to the CJI, they invoke Article 21 of the Constitution, which guarantees the fundamental right to life.
They question,
“If development means breathing in cancerous fumes, drinking contaminated water, and watching our grandchildren suffer, then what is this, development or destruction?”
Environmental experts have also voiced concerns about such projects. Reports from organizations like the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) have indicated that incinerating unsegregated waste, particularly in densely populated and industrial areas, poses serious health and ecological threats.
Yet, in working-class neighbourhoods like Bawana, these concerns are frequently overlooked.
The letter emphasizes,
“We are not included in decisions that affect our lives,”
“Plans are made for us, never with us.”
The letter concludes,
“Please stand with us, Hon’ble Sir. Please protect our children. Please protect our right to live,”
For the women of Sanoth, this appeal to the Chief Justice may represent their last hope.