CHENNAI: The southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday directed the Kerala state government and its pollution control board to remove the bio-medical waste and mixed solid waste illegally dumped at multiple points bordering Tirunelveli district within three days and file a compliance report on December 23.
Dumping of hazardous biomedical waste by Kerala into Tamil Nadu area is occurring frequently. Truckloads of waste are reportedly being clandestinely disposed of in the pristine forests, water bodies and farm lands in Tamil Nadu in the middle of the night by miscreants from Kerala. Earlier, dumping was reported from Anamalai, Theni, and Nanguneri; now it has been dumped in four locations - Kodaganallur, Palavoor, Kondanagaram and Sivalarkulam - all in Tirunelveli district.
The NGT was hearing a suo moto case filed based on TNIE article. The biomedical waste was from Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) in Thiruvananthapuram and Credence private hospital, while municipal waste was from the Leela Kovalam. The NGT has issued notices to all the three establishments apart from environment and health departments of both States for failing to curb the illegality.
The green bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal said either Kerala should take back the waste or enter into a MoU with Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility in Tamil Nadu for safe disposal. "The waste dumped must be removed immediately," the bench said giving an ultimatum of three days.
Tamil Nadu government pleader D Shanmuganathan said Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) did not comply with the tribunal's earlier order in June this year, where it was asked to pay Rs 69,000 incurred by the local body to remove the waste dumped on the roadside of Nanguneri.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials told TNIE that a detailed assessment was being done to estimate the quantum of biomedical waste dumped. Its counsel Sai Sathya Jith said the chairperson of TNPCB wrote to the chairperson of KSPCB on December 18 demanding legal action against RCC and others, besides beefing-up the monitoring on the borders. Two FIRs were registered with Suthamalli police against the establishments under Sections 271 and 272 of the BNS, Section 15 (1) of the Environment Protection Act, and Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.
VK Rema Smrithi, counsel for KSPCB, accepted that the waste dumped was from Kerala and she said criminal proceedings will be initiated against those responsible. "I am told some unauthorised waste collectors, who are not recognised by the government, were indulging in this illegality."
Local activists told TNIE that police and transport departments of both Kerala and Tamil Nadu need to be blamed. "There is only a narrow Sengottai road connecting both States in Tirunelveli, where the dumping took place. If that one inter-state check-post is strengthened and strict vigil is maintained, the problem can be solved."
Biomedical waste when improperly disposed can have adverse effects on the health of humans or to the environment. It is highly infectious and must be managed as per BMW management Rules.