CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Thursday questioned the Kerala government as to whether it is colluding with the alleged violator in the illegal dumping of biomedical waste in Tamil Nadu and directed the secretary of Kerala’s environment department to submit a detailed report on the issue.
The tribunal also directed Tamil Nadu to enhance monitoring along the border by setting up a dedicated task force to track vehicular movement.
Criticising the Kerala authorities for their failure to take decisive action, the tribunal flagged inaction and lack of accountability in addressing this serious environmental and public health issue.
The bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, expressed displeasure with the report submitted by Kerala, which did not specify the quantity of waste removed from the border villages in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district. The tribunal found Kerala’s response inadequate and vague.
Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) informed the tribunal that it had issued a show-cause notice on December 19, 2024, to the Regional Cancer Centre, Credence Multispecialty Family Hospital, and Leela Kovalam resort. However, apart from Credence, none of the entities responded, and the KSPCB failed to take any further action.
The counsel of Credence Hospital, in its defence, stated that it had handed over its biomedical waste to IMAGE, the only agency authorised to handle such waste in Kerala. The hospital argued that it could not be held liable for any illegal dumping. The tribunal expressed surprise and concern that IMAGE, despite being an alleged violator, had participated in a high-level meeting chaired by the Kerala Chief Secretary on December 19.
Med waste: Kerala govt told to ensure accountability
The bench questioned whether the state government was colluding with IMAGE and criticised the authorities for not issuing a show-cause notice to IMAGE despite its alleged involvement in the violations. It suggested that Kerala consider entering into agreements with authorised waste management agencies in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, rather than relying solely on a single agency, to ensure better accountability.
The bench said issuing show-cause notices alone was insufficient and that authorities must ensure the matter is resolved comprehensively. It observed that the timeline for revoking the consent to operate had expired, allowing violators to continue their activities without any hindrance.
The tribunal suggested that authorities could have temporarily halted operations of entities such as holiday resorts involved in the violations until a proper investigation was completed.
The tribunal noted that the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) was earlier directed to draft standard operating procedures (SOPs) for managing biomedical waste to prevent inter-state dumping. However, it remains unclear if the guidelines have been finalised or circulated to states. The bench urged the CPCB to expedite the process.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government reported another incident on December 23, where four tankers of waste, including one with human excreta, were dumped in Kanniyakumari. The tribunal directed swift action and adjourned the matter to January 20.
