Daily Court Digest: Major environment orders (November 2, 2020)

Puzhal lake pollution

The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had asked the executive engineer, Public Works Department, Ambattur, to carry out a number of civic works to decrease pollution in Chennai’s Puzhal lake, according to the report filed by the Board with the National Green Tribunal (NGT).

The report was filed in response to an allegation that biomedical waste was being dumped at the lake. The civic works included the desilting of the lake, provision of proper fencing and the removal of all solid waste dumped along the bunds of the lake.

A TNPCB team visited the site February 24 and August 14, 2020 and found no biomedical wastes dumped in the area. However, garbage and other mixed solid waste were found dumped along the bunds.

A meeting was convened March 13, 2020, with the representatives of pharma industries (bulk drug and formulation units) at the TNPCB office in Guindy, Chennai. The  units were asked to comply with the following directions:

1. To apply and obtain valid consent under Water Act and Air Act
2. To apply and obtain valid authorisation for the proper disposal of biomedical waste under the Biomedical Waste Management Rules, 2016
3. To have valid authorisation for proper disposal of hazardous waste under the Hazardous and other Waste (Management and Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2016
4. To ensure proper disposal of discarded / date expired medicines and not to dispose them in the lake or any other water bodies or any lands
5. To have accountability of the expired medicines and to maintain proper registers of raw material received, products manufactured with proper records 

Air pollution in Tandur

Kalburgi Cement Pvt Ltd, a cement manufacturing company in Tandur in Telangana’s Rangareddy district said it was following pollution control measures and the conditions stipulated in its consent to operate certificate, in its response to an application filed with NGT.

The Tandur Citizens Welfare Society had filed the application alleging that cement factories, construction, stone cutting and polishing activities were causing air pollution in Tandur.

The company was monitoring ambient air quality at six locations per month, ambient noise levels at seven locations per month, fugitive emission and dust fall rate at five locations per month and stack monitoring at seven stacks per month.

The company also said 52.78 per cent of its plant area was under a green belt. It had also developed its own nursery within the plant to propagate and develop species of trees and bush for a future green belt. 

Tiruchirappalli petroleum outlet

The TNPCB told NGT that a petroleum retail outlet in Tiruchirappalli was not compliant with Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) guidelines and was violating them.

The CPCB had issued guidelines January 7 for setting up new petrol pumps. The district environmental engineer of TNPCB, Trichy inspected the outlet October 24.

The outlet had been under operation since September and there were several residential and commercial buildings adjacent to it, the report said.

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