CHENNAI: The Southern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to investigate the entire chain of events that led to biomedical waste being dumped near Pallavaram Lake, causing environmental damage.
The bench, comprising Judicial Member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Expert Member Prashant Gargava, observed that the TNPCB was directed to conduct an independent enquiry into the entire chain of events leading to the illegal dumping of waste, including the aspect of segregation at source within the hospital premises.
“The TNPCB shall, after affording an opportunity for personal hearing, take action in accordance with the law against MIOT Hospital and GEM Hospital for failure to ensure proper segregation of biomedical waste, and also against the general waste handler, Ashok Paper Mart, who was involved in the unauthorised dumping of accumulated waste,” the bench said. “The TNPCB shall also fix responsibility on all the erring parties and take necessary steps for remediation and mitigation of the environmental damage caused.”
The background of the case is that large quantities of medical and biomedical waste were dumped in and around Pallavaram Lake and Pallavaram Radial Road, causing environmental damage. Based on a news report published in September 2024, the NGT’s Southern Zone Bench in Chennai took up the matter suo motu for hearing.
Following the inquiry, the TNPCB had recommended imposing a penalty of Rs 55.25 lakh on MIOT Hospital and Rs 28.78 lakh on the management of GEM Hospital.
Similarly, the Tambaram Corporation informed the Tribunal that a fine of Rs 5 lakh for the illegal disposal of waste, including medical waste, in an open place had also been imposed.