The Tiruppur City Corporation is not authorised to use abandoned stone quarries for dumping garbage, says the TNPCB report.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The latest report of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to the National Green Tribunal on the impact of dumping of garbage by the Tiruppur City Corporation in abandoned quarries at Pongupalayam village has pushed the civic body into a challenging situation.
The TNPCB report states that the City Corporation was not authorised to use the abandoned stone quarries for dumping garbage, and the civic body had failed to adhere to solid waste management norms.
“A show cause notice was issued to the City Corporation on August 22, 2024, under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, for non-compliance with the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. However, no reply has been received to date,” the TNPCB report said, adding: “Unauthorised dumping of unsegregated municipal solid wastes into these quarries is in direct violation of the provisions of SWM Rules, 2016 and continues to endanger public health and the environment.”
Urging the City Corporation to immediately stop dumping unsegregated waste at the abandoned quarry, the TNPCB advised the local body to send the segregated recyclable waste to authorised recyclers or cement kilns.
The TNPCB had stated in its report that a team had inspected the quarry sites on January 8, 2025, and could observe that while dumping of solid waste at the quarry in Survey number 199 had ceased, the practice continued at the quarry in survey number 206.
The NGT-Southern Zone adjoined the case for next hearing after a week.
The TNPCB submitted its report following a public interest litigation filed before the National Green Tribunal opposing the dumping of the garbage in the defunct quarries in Kalampalayam area of Pongupalayam panchayat by a private entity SWMS that was entrusted with the responsibility of collecting and disposing garbage by the City Corporation. The dumping of the garbage in the quarries had caused land, water and air pollution, and was exposing people to grave health hazards, R. Satishkumar, State Secretary, Legal Awareness Wing, Tamil Nadu Farmers Protection Association, who filed the PIL, said.
In its report submitted to the National Green Tribunal – Southern Zone on Tuesday, the TNPCB made a case for levy of ₹2.8 crore as interim fine on the civic body for non-compliance with the Environmental Protection Act, and Solid Waste Management Rules.
These norms required the City Corporation to segregate the garbage at collection points before collection for recycling and reuse. The City Corporation also faced the challenge of removing the dumped garbage.
The TNPCB advocated preparation of short-term and long-term plans for solid waste management by the City Corporation.
Published – January 22, 2025 09:33 pm IST
