Karnataka State Pollution Control Board officials recently seized lorries from Kerala carrying plastic waste at Mulehole check post in Gundlupet.
Published Nov 16, 2024 | 1:00 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 16, 2024 | 1:00 PM
Six lorries ferrying waste from Kerala were stopped near Gundlupet. (Representational pic of Mysuru-Gundlupet road/Sahad033/Wikimedia Commons)
Kerala’s pride in its progressive waste management practices is being scrutinized as mounting evidence of illegal waste dumping spills across state borders.
In a recent incident, Karnataka authorities seized six lorries ferrying tonnes of plastic waste from Kerala near the Mulehole check post in Gundlupet.
Similar cases of unchecked dumping have raised alarm, with allegations that hazardous biomedical and plastic waste are being illicitly disposed of in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka border areas.
To counter this cross-border environmental threat, Kerala is now betting on a tech-driven solution — an online tracking system to monitor waste movement and halt illegal dumping practices. The system is expected to be in place in December.
Karnataka State Pollution Control Board officials seized lorries from Kerala carrying plastic waste at Mulehole check post in Gundlupet.
The lorries, traveling without proper documentation and permits, raised suspicions about their intended destination. Karnataka alleged that the waste was meant for illegal dumping within their borders.
However, the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) refuted the allegation, insisting that the waste was en route to Andhra Pradesh for waste-to-energy projects.
KSPCB Chairperson Sreekala S emphasized the state’s commitment to strict waste management standards and expressed regret over the incident, highlighting that directions have since been issued to border district authorities to enhance vigilance and enforce documentation requirements.
“We have ordered strict monitoring to ensure no vehicles cross the state lines without proper documentation. We are also working on an online tracking system that will come into effect soon and help address these issues at their root,” Sreekala told South First.
The system is expected to streamline monitoring, providing real-time tracking of waste-carrying vehicles and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.
The controversy surrounding waste management practices in Kerala and neighboring states has been brewing for some time.
In addition to environmental concerns, the movement of waste across borders has led to tensions between state pollution control boards.
In recent years, local authorities in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu have raised alarms about waste from Kerala accumulating in their jurisdictions, alleging that certain waste disposal operators exploit regulatory loopholes to dispose of waste illegally.
An official with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, speaking on the recent seizure, said that the driver of the seized lorry was unable to provide adequate documentation, which further fueled suspicions of illicit dumping.
“Our initial assessments indicate that the waste was not intended for legitimate recycling or energy production. We suspect it was meant for dumping, posing potential hazards to our environment and public health,” the official noted.
At the same time, a case is currently in progress at the National Green Tribunal, Southern Zone, Chennai which took a suo motu case based on a media report which documented the waste dumping at Anamalai in Tamil Nadu in 2021.
The NGT, which directed the Central Pollution Control Board to come out with a standard operating procedure on the waste dumping incidents will next consider the case on 20 January 2025.
While Kerala SPCB has given its suggestions and inputs to the SOP, it is learnt that Tamil Nadu is yet to do the same.
At the same time, in a fact finding mission carried out by the CPCB, it is said that it identified substantial shortcomings in Kerala’s solid waste management.
“Inspections revealed that there is no comprehensive inventory of waste systems available to the Local Self-Government Department (LSGD) or the Kerala State Pollution Control Board,” said a source.
Additionally, solid waste management facilities are insufficient, and there are no systems for monitoring waste movements across interstate borders with Tamil Nadu.
Biomedical waste management is also problematic, as household biomedical waste is being mismanaged, violating the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The CPCB also noted that with Kerala’s sole cement plant, Malabar Cements in Palakkad, sent a portion of non-recyclable waste to cement plants in Tamil Nadu without proper tracking of quantities.
Some of the proposals CPCB made to Kerala included creating a waste inventory in each local body, an online tracking system to monitor waste handling, while the Tamil Nadu SPCB is to assess its recycling capacity and coordinate with Kerala SPCB.
The proposals in the form of SOP is now under the consideration of NGT.
To tackle this cross-border waste management issue, the KSPCB is preparing to roll out an online tracking system by December.
This system will require all waste-carrying vehicles to register on a digital platform, where they must specify their point of origin and destination.
Chairperson Sreekala said this innovation will add a crucial layer of transparency and accountability, as only registered vehicles will be permitted to transport waste across state lines.
Any vehicle not listed in the system will be deemed unauthorised, enabling swift action from monitoring authorities.
This tracking system will also allow for real-time monitoring of vehicle movement, which officials believe will act as a deterrent for unregistered or illicit transporters.
“Vehicles that are part of the system will be closely monitored. They must declare the origin and final destination of the waste, and any discrepancies will trigger an alert,” Sreekala said.
It is learnt that the tracking system is being developed in line with the CPCB’s National Hazardous Waste Tracking System.
One of the most serious concerns among environmental activists and state officials in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is the suspicion that some of the waste includes hazardous and biomedical materials.
Biomedical waste, if not treated correctly, can have severe health and environmental impacts.
Unregulated dumping of such waste could contaminate soil and water sources, creating lasting ecological damage.
Both Tamil Nadu and Karnataka have implemented stringent measures to curb illegal dumping within their borders, but the recent incidents highlight how cross-border dumping remains a persistent issue.
At the same time, Kerala PCB officials argued that waste management issues require cooperative strategies between neighboring states, especially as many urban areas struggle with increasing waste generation.
Though Kerala has been lauded for its waste management practices, the cross-border dumping issue underlines the need for shared strategies to manage waste disposal responsibly.
By investing in technological solutions like the tracking system, Kerala aims to set an example, hoping to create a model that could be replicated across other states to prevent such disputes.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
