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The National Green Tribunal ordered the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) January 13, 2025 to file their reply on allegations of medical waste dumping near Khadakwasla canal, Pune, Maharashtra.
The tribunal also sought a response from the commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, Maharashtra; Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Nagpur and district magistrate (collector) of Pune. The respective authorities have to submit their affidavit before the Western Zonal Bench, Pune a week ahead of the next hearing on February 27, 2025.
The matter related to the illegal dumping of medical waste along Canal Road in Mirgalwadi village, Daund tehsil in Pune district.
The application was filed on the basis of a newspaper article published in the Hindustan Times December 18, 2024. The report noted that the waste, comprising of injection boxes without labels, was found near the Khadakwasla canal, a vital water source for agriculture and drinking.
The article highlighted that such negligence in dumping of bio-medical waste poses serious health risks to citizens and livestock, given the canal's significance.
The above news item indicated violation of the provisions of Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016; Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the court noted.
NGT January 13, 2025 pulled up the commissioner of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) and the district magastrate (DM) of West Delhi for inaction in preventing muck being dumped in a drain in Rajendra Nagar Extension, despite repeated requests by the irrigation and flood control department of Delhi.
Moreover, no one from the authorities showed up for the hearing although a notice was served to them. The tribunal took a serious view of the negligence being committed and directed the MCD commissioner and West Delhi DM to appear virtually for the next hearing on April 25, 2025 and appraise the tribunal.
In the original application, registered suo motu, NGT had taken up the matter of the death of a 13-year-old boy who drowned in an open drain filled with garbage.
The irrigation and flood control department had stated that the garbage present in the drain is due to the absence of a proper door-to-door collection system of waste by civic agency, leading to haphazard dumping of garbage by residents of adjoining colonies outside their premises.
Further, the limited space available at the landfill site also affects the process of disposal of silt, the department pointed out, adding that they have raised multiple requests with the landfill site operator for accepting silt but received no response.
The department also alleged that they referred the matter to MCD on several occasions for stoppage of illegal dumping of garbage / malba and solid waste into the drain at appropriate level but the civic body never responded.
Further, MCD dhalaos / compactors do not accept the garbage / floating material from any source other than MCD. The irrigation and flood control department has requested for allowing floating materials from drain / irrigation channels in Kiradi Suleman Nagar into dhalaos / compactors near Nangloi Najafgarh road or Sayed Nangloi area but to no avail.
NGT January 13, 2025 directed authorities including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and CPCB to file their reply before the Southern Zonal Bench, Chennai regarding discharge of untreated sewage water from a housing society in Ambattur, Chennai.
The original application was registered suo motu on the basis of a news article, which reported that the discharge has led to sewage stagnation on roads, creating unhygienic conditions and contributing to the pollution of nearby waterbodies, including Korattur lake.
The article highlighted that despite lodging complaints with the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board and the local ward councillor, residents reported that no inspections or remedial actions have been undertaken.
The matter is of greater concern because there is a private school in proximity, and the health and safety of commuters and students may be at risk. The stagnant sewage has become a breeding ground for mosquitoes, increasing the danger of vector-borne diseases such as dengue and chikungunya in the community.
The news item indicated a violation of the provisions of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Act, 1978; the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the court said.