Goondas Act to be invoked against illegal dumping of biomed waste

CHENNAI: The State Health and Family Welfare department has apprised the southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) that State government would take action under Goondas Act against the persons who dump biomedical waste across cross-border districts in Tamil Nadu.

In his status report to the Tribunal, P Senthilkumar, secretary of the department, said that the advocate general of Tamil Nadu has opined that the continuing menace caused by illicit dumping of biomedical waste is quite alarming and pose a serious health hazard situation in the State. He also opined that the description of 'Goonda' under TN Act 14 of 1982 be expanded in the interest of public to include those who illegally dispose biomedical waste without scientific treatment across the cross-border districts in Tamil Nadu.

"The authorities shall take all necessary steps in this regard as expeditiously as possible. Based on the opinion of the learned advocate general of Tamil Nadu, action is being taken," he said.

It may be noted that the Tribunal is hearing a suo motu case against the dumping of biomedical waste along the state borders from neighbouring Kerala.

The Tribunal has also directed the State Health Department, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, Kerala government and others to file their reports, based on which the department secretary filed his report.

As per the report, the government has expanded the district level biomedical waste management monitoring committees by including superintendent of police, joint director of animal husbandry and fisheries department, additional director of panchayats, commissioner of municipal corporation and regional transport officer and directed the committee to meet at least once in a month for monitoring the disposal of biomedical waste and take up follow up action.

Meanwhile, TNPCB had conducted a meeting with Indian Medical Association based on the NGT direction on the same case. The meeting concluded that the online monitoring system is not practicable and feasible.

The TNPCB has also requested its counterpart in Kerala to assess the generation of bio-medical waste from each HCF (Health Care Facilities) and the common bio-medical waste treatment and disposal facilities (CBMWTF) capacity to find out the gaps between generation, treatment and disposal of bio-medical waste.