Taking note of the menace of illegal dumping of biomedical waste, the State government has proposed to expand the description of ‘Goonda’ under the Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982, by including those who illegally dump untreated biomedical waste from cross-border districts in Tamil Nadu under the Goondas Act.
In a status report filed before the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, Health Secretary P. Senthil Kumar stated that the Advocate-General of Tamil Nadu had said the continuing menace of illegal dumping of biomedical waste was alarming, and posed a serious health hazard.
“The AG has opined that the description of ‘Goonda’ under the Tamil Nadu Act 14 of 1982 be expanded, in the interest of the public, to include those who illegally dump biomedical waste without scientific treatment from cross-border districts in Tamil Nadu. Accordingly, the authorities shall take necessary steps in this regard as expeditiously as possible. Based on the opinion of the AG, action is being taken in this regard,” the status report said.
A Division Bench of Justices G. Jayachandran and P.D. Audikesavalu had sought a status report from the Chief Secretary on a contempt petition filed in 2019 by S. Chidambaram of Tirunelveli district, who had filed a petition in 2018, seeking a direction to the authorities to ensure that hazardous and biomedical waste from Kerala is not dumped in Tamil Nadu. It was submitted that the status report had been filed on behalf of the Chief Secretary.
The report stated that Tamil Nadu’s borders with Kerala and Karnataka were being monitored. In the Nilgiris, Tiruppur and Dindigul districts, there had been no incident of biomedical waste being transported into Tamil Nadu from Kerala. Similarly, there had been no recent incident of the dumping of biomedical waste in Theni, Virudhunagar and Kanniyakumari districts.
It was submitted that in Theni and Kanniyakumari districts, CCTV cameras had been installed, and vehicle surveillance and checks were being conducted.
It was submitted that in Tirunelveli and Tenkasi districts, vehicles transporting biomedical waste were seized, and fines were imposed. The vehicles were sent back to Kerala. Special monitoring teams had been constituted in the districts, and cases had been filed against the violators.
