Medical waste from Kerala dumped in Tamil Nadu: Green tribunal issues ultimatum

The tribunal order was issued by a bench of Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal. The bench instructed Kerala to either retrieve the waste or enter into an agreement with Tamil Nadu’s Common Biomedical Waste Treatment Facility for safe disposal.

“Kerala should take back the waste or formalise a Memorandum of Understanding for its scientific disposal without delay,” the order said. Tamil Nadu’s government pleader, D Shanmuganathan, informed the bench that Kerala had failed to honour a previous June 2024 directive to pay Rs 69,000 for cleanup efforts in Nanguneri, where similar dumping had occurred.

The illegal dumping of biomedical waste, reportedly sourced from hospitals and municipal establishments in Kerala, has sparked outrage. Truckloads of hazardous materials have been found abandoned in water bodies, farmlands, and forests in Tirunelveli district. The NGT initiated a suo motu case following investigative reports highlighting the environmental hazards posed by these practices.

Local activists allege that unauthorised waste collectors transport the waste under the cover of darkness, evading border checks. Tamil Nadu officials are conducting assessments to quantify the volume of waste dumped across multiple sites, including Kodaganallur, Palavoor, Kondanagaram, and Sivalarkulam.

FIRs have been lodged with the Suthamalli police against the entities responsible, invoking Sections 271 and 272 of the Indian Penal Code, alongside provisions of the Environment Protection Act.

This is not the first instance of Kerala’s waste being dumped in Tamil Nadu. Past incidents in Nanguneri, Theni, and Anamalai have drawn sharp criticism.

“Despite judicial orders and public protest, Tamil Nadu’s border districts continue to bear the brunt of these violations,” said a senior official of Tamil Nadu’s Pollution Control Board (TNPCB).

Kerala’s Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has admitted lapses. Advocate V K Rema Smrithi, representing KSPCB, told the tribunal, “Some unauthorised waste collectors, not recognised by the government, were indulging in this illegality.” The tribunal responded by demanding stringent action against these operators.

The crisis has also triggered political reactions. Tamil Nadu BJP president K Annamalai accused the DMK government of failing to safeguard the state’s environmental and territorial integrity. Annamalai said southern districts, particularly Kanyakumari, Tirunelveli, and Tenkasi, have become the dump yards of the Kerala government. “Biomedical waste, plastic waste, and poultry waste are being illegally dumped in Tamil Nadu, and checkposts have turned into collection centres,” he said, alleging collusion at the highest levels.

Annamalai warned of mass protests and threatened to march to Kerala to return the waste if the situation persists.

According to the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016, such materials must be treated in dedicated facilities to prevent contamination.