The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed authorities in Tamil Nadu and Kerala to file detailed reports on a recent incident of garbage being dumped in Nanguneri town in Tirunelveli.
Based on a news report, the NGT has taken suo motu cognisance into ten tonnes of plastic, medical, and domestic waste from Kerala dumped at multiple locations near Nanguneri in Tirunelveli district on October 7. “The Nanguneri Police also registered a CSR [community service register], as the waste was dumped in the middle of Shenbagaramanallur Road, which branches off from Ilaiyarkulam junction, blocking vehicle movement,” the Bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati observed.
During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board informed the bench that it has advised people not to burn the waste.
Noting that there is already a similar case pending before the NGT about municipal waste and biomedical waste transported from Kerala being dumped in the bordering villages of Tamil Nadu, the bench directed the authorities to file a detailed report after making an inspection and investigation.
In the other case, which has been heard by the NGT since 2021, the Central Pollution Control Board has been asked to file a report on the action taken in coordinating with pollution regulators in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the issue of garbage dumping near border areas in Tamil Nadu.
