Efforts are underway to clear hazardous waste from Kerala hospitals, illegally dumped at six sites in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu.
Published Dec 22, 2024 | 3:26 PM ⚊ Updated Dec 22, 2024 | 3:26 PM
A 30 member team from Kerala has reached Tirunelveli district to clear large quantities of hazardous waste that were illegally dumped at multiple sites across the area after being transported from Kerala.
A team of 30 officers from Kerala has arrived in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, to clear large quantities of hazardous waste illegally dumped at multiple sites after being transported from hospitals in Kerala.
The clean-up operation commenced early on Sunday morning. Efforts are underway to clear the area before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) hearing scheduled for Monday, 23 December.
The team comprises officials from Kerala’s Local Self-Government Department, the health wing of Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, Indian Medical Association Goes Eco-friendly (IMAGE), and the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), alongside clean-up workers from Kerala.
Tamil Nadu authorities have supported the operation by providing heavy machinery, including excavators.
Speaking to South First, Gopakumar, Health Officer at the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, outlined the operation:
“Our team is currently deployed across various sites in Tirunelveli, including Pazhavoor, Kallur, Kondanagaram, and Kodaganallur. The medical waste will be transported back to Kerala, where it will be segregated and processed scientifically.
“The team consists of approximately 30 officials and 50 workers, and we aim to clear the area by the end of the day.”
Gopakumar confirmed that medical waste had been identified at six locations in Tirunelveli district. The waste is being segregated into medical and other types before disposal. Sixteen heavy-load trucks have been deployed from Kerala for the operation.
The process is being closely monitored by multiple officials, including Sakshi Mohan, Assistant Collector at the Thiruvananthapuram District Collectorate, and representatives from the Kerala Pollution Control Board.
Cheranmahadevi Sub-Collector Arpeet Jain, Assistant Collector (Training) Ambica Jain, and officials from the Revenue and Health departments are also present at the sites.
Furthermore, Tamil Nadu officials, including representatives from the state Pollution Control Board, are cooperating fully with their Kerala counterparts to ensure a smooth operation, monitoring the transport of waste up to the state border for safe disposal in Kerala.
S Sreekala, Chairperson of the KSPCB, confirmed that the collected waste will be transported to the Clean Kerala Company’s facility, a Kerala government-approved private agency, for processing.
The swift clean-up action follows an NGT order issued on 19 December, requiring the Kerala government and its Pollution Control Board to clear illegally dumped biomedical and solid waste along the border with Tirunelveli district within three days.
A compliance report is to be submitted by 23 December. The tribunal initiated the case suo motu.
Acting on the tribunal’s orders, a special team of over 25 Kerala officials, led by Thiruvananthapuram Deputy Collector Sakshi Mohan and Health Officer Gopakumar, visited the affected areas.
Kerala officials inspected the sites and discussed the matter with Tirunelveli District Collector Karthikeyan, who insisted on the immediate removal of the waste and demanded strict action against those responsible.
#Kerala’s biomedical waste, including sensitive medical records from major hospitals, has been dumped in #TamilNadu’s Tirunelveli district.
The waste, containing confidential patient details, has raised concerns about privacy breaches and environmental damage. Despite earlier… pic.twitter.com/6YFb6HsA56
— South First (@TheSouthfirst) December 17, 2024
Sai Sathya Jith, counsel for the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), stated that the TNPCB Chairperson had written to the KSPCB Chairperson on 18 December, urging legal proceedings against Regional Cancer Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and others involved in the dumping, alongside stronger border monitoring measures.
Incidents of illegal dumping from Kerala have been reported before, particularly in border areas like Puliyankudi in Tenkasi district, where locals have successfully resisted such attempts.
However, this marks the first instance of medical waste dumped inside Tamil Nadu being officially transported back to Kerala under the supervision of officials from both states.
Notably, the clearing process has proceeded without any protests from the local community, who have been supportive throughout.
The Suthamalli police have registered two FIRs under Sections 271 and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Section 15(1) of the Environment Protection Act, and Section 3 of the Tamil Nadu Open Places (Prevention of Disfigurement) Act.
Two intermediaries, Mayandi and Manohar, were arrested for allegedly facilitating the illegal dumping.
Additionally, the authorities apprehended two others: Nidhin George, a supervisor at a private waste management company in Kannur, and Chelladurai, a truck driver.
Earlier, police seized a truck owned by a Salem resident, used to transport the waste, based on CCTV evidence.
(Edited by Dese Gowda. With inputs from Nitika Shivani.)
