In January 2021, newspapers reported that expired medicines and hazardous medical waste were being dumped on the banks of Tiruneermalai, near Pallavaram, Chennai.
Based on that, the Tribunal, acting on its own initiative, registered the case and set up an expert committee to investigate the matter.
According to the order of the tribunal, the relevant government bodies including Tambaram Manaka Ratshi, Chengalpattu District Administration had submitted a report.
In this case, Green Tribunal Judge Pushpa Satyanarayana and expert committee member Satya Gopal issued the order:
‘Through the local bodies around Tiruneermalai, two years ago, the solid waste dumped on the banks of the lake has been removed. Dumping of garbage there has now stopped,’ said the report filed by the Commissioner of Tambaram Manaka Ratchi.
However, it is clear from the photographs filed by the commissioner that non-biodegradable waste including ‘plastic’ is still not removed from the lake shore.
The entire site needs to be reclaimed by removing the non-biodegradable waste. The Chengalpattu Collector has asked for two weeks’ time to file a detailed report on the steps taken and to be taken in this regard. The next hearing in the case will be held on March 15.
This is stated in the order.