CHENNAI: A large dump of biomedical waste was spotted alongside the Outer Ring Road in Vandalur, by activists on Sunday. They said that neither the waste had been cleared nor the officials responded to complaints, till Monday.This is the third time the medical waste is being dumped in the area, while more than a dozen cases of dumping have been reported over the past year in city suburbs. Syringes, tablets and tonics were found dumped in the spot, which lies in close proximity to the Vandalur Zoo.
Express had published two reports last year about burnt tonic bottles in Poonamallee and burning of used surgical gloves in Vandalur. An invoice found amongst the dump, a copy of which is available with Express, has the name of the company on it. Pughalventhan V, an activist, who spotted it first, said that there was no response from the TNPCB officials when he raised the issue on Monday.
‘’Every time I lodge a complaint with both TNPCB and Tamil Nadu Drug Control Department, either of them clean up the place. But what is the action taken?” he questioned. He said that although every area has a drug inspector, the officials do not hit the ground. ‘’Even weeks after a complaint is filed, the waste is not removed in some places,’’ Pughalventhan alleged. He also said biomedical waste was seen in quarries too.
According to the TNPCB’s Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, biomedical waste should be disposed off at the nearest waste treatment facility within 48 hours. Express contacted a district engineer with the pollution control board on Monday afternoon and he said that the issue will be looked into immediately.