Coimbatore: A day after four lorry loads of medical and municipal wastes brought from the Kerala were seized near Pollachi, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) took up the issue with its counterpart in the neighbouring State.
"Immediately on learning about the dumping of biomedical wastes from Kerala in farmlands at Chemmanampathi near Pollachi, I instructed the TNPCB Chairman to write a letter to the Kerala PCB asking them to take proper steps to prevent such instances. The issue was taken up with Kerala PCB on Monday," Tamil Nadu Environment Minister BV Ramanna told the Express.
"We have also asked guards at all check posts in the border to remain vigilant and not to allow vehicles carrying wastes into the State," he said.
Ramanna has also sought a report from the TNPCB over the constant dumping of wastes in the western district based on which he would take further action. On Monday, TNPCB officials inspected the four seized lorries loaded with the wastes and the site at Marappa Kavundanpudur village near Chemmanampathi where the wastes were dumped.
"The farm owner said he had allowed one lorry driver to dump the wastes as he was told that they were decomposed manures. But the wastes were not fully decomposed and it was also heavily mixed with polluting substances like plastic and discarded rubber slippers," Coimbatore District Environmental Engineer K Kamaraj said.
However, notwithstanding the allegation of Periyar Dravidar Kazhagam activists and villagers, Kamaraj said, "We did not found any medical or bio wastes at the spot."
According to him, three years ago a similar incident was reported where the Kochi Municipal Corporation had dumped garbage in a village near Udumalpet in Coimbatore.
"At that time itself we had taken up the issue with the Kerala PCB asking them to prevent such unethical dumping of waste. We retrieved the wastes dumped in the village and sent back them in 20 lorries to Kochi," he recounted.
While transporting manures generated by decomposing wastes is not prohibited, he cautioned farmers saying in most cases the waste were not properly segregated.
"Even in such cases, we have asked the Kerala PCB to obtain clearance from us before it was brought into Tamil Nadu," Kamaraj said. Environment activists, however, blame the indifference of the TNPCB for the continuing dumping.
"The Board is completely toothless and lacks political will to act against the violators. For last several years, the Board has not prosecuted even a single person for violating environmental laws. This has encouraged other States to dump their wastes here. Even Puducherry is regularly dumping garbage in Tamil Nadu's territory," said environment activist and Madras High Court lawyer T Mohan.
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