COIMBATORE: The National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone) has issued a stern directive to the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to clear the massive backlog of legacy waste at the Vellalore dumpyard by the end of 2025, calling for urgent action on a 'war footing.'
The directive came during a hearing held on June 23, presided over by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana. Expressing dissatisfaction with the corporation's progress, the tribunal criticized the continued suffering of residents in Vellalore, who have for years endured foul odour, mosquito menace, and groundwater pollution caused by the accumulated waste.
According to the corporation, over 7.9 lakh metric tonnes of waste have been dumped at the site. However, a recent assessment by Anna University's Environmental Research Centre pegged the figure at 9.4 lakh metric tonnes. Despite initiating bio-mining efforts in February 2021, the tribunal questioned how meaningful progress could be made with only three trommels in operation. They noted that at this pace, it could take years to complete the work.
The segregation of solid waste has also dropped sharply, from 36% in November 2023 to 15% in May 2025, even as waste processing improved from 64% to 85%. The tribunal recommended the immediate addition of trommels or the deployment of high-capacity machinery like the Power Screen Warrior 1200 to ramp up daily waste processing to at least 10,000 tonnes.
The corporation has been instructed to submit a comprehensive, time-bound action plan to a committee headed by the Additional Chief Secretary of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply (MAWS) Department. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has also been tasked with conducting monthly inspections and submitting reports. The matter is scheduled for the next hearing on August 7, 2025.