The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has sought a report from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) on bulk waste generators and regulation mechanisms for such entities.
Taking suo motu cognisance of bulk waste disposal issues in the State, based on an article published in The Hindu on February 4, 2024, the NGT directed the TNPCB to file a report on how they deal with the bulk waste generators (BWGs), whether BWGs have separate rules in place and if they are being followed or not.
The article had highlighted the non-compliance of BWGs, illicit waste auctions held by them, lack of enforcement by urban local bodies, and inadequate micro composting sites. If the BWGs are not following the guidelines, the NGT has asked the TNPCB whether there was any proposal to formulate guidelines for the waste generators, including high-rise residential apartments and industrial estates — public and private.
In the hearing on February 20, the Bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati included the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority, represented by its Member Secretary and Directorate of Town and Country Planning, represented by its Director, as necessary parties to the proceeding in addition to the Greater Chennai Corporation, Coimbatore Corporation, Directorate of Municipal Administration, State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), Directorate of Town Panchayats, Tamil Nadu Small Industries Development Corporation Limited (TANSIDCO), Additional Chief Secretary to Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department, and Principal Secretary to Departments of Environment, Climate Change and Forests.
