Latest news with #TNPCB
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
Vaniyambadi residents ‘seize' trucks laden with leather waste
Residents in Vaniyambadi town near Tirupattur blocked trucks that were carrying leather waste from tanneries to allegedly dump them in open plots and water bodies in the outskirts of the town. Residents said that illegal dumping of leather wastes especially hides from tanneries in open plots and water bodies, especially in Kallar and Chinna Palar rivers, key tributaries of Palar, has polluted the groundwater table. These open plots have become breeding grounds for mosquitos, posing health risks to residents including senior citizens and children. 'Most of such illegal dumping occurs during mid-night to evade notice of residents and social activists in the area. Lack of routine patrol by local police also makes such lorry drivers make frequent trips to open lands to dump wastes,' said Mohammed Arif, a resident. On Thursday, residents noticed leather waste laden trucks near the town on Chennai - Bengaluru Highway (NH 44). Immediately, they blocked the movement of vehicles, which was heading to a nearby lake in the area. Residents also informed Vaniyambadi Town police, who rushed to the spot, and checked the vehicles. Police found leather wastes, mainly hides. Initial inquiry revealed that eight trucks were coming from private tanneries in Ambur to dump leather wastes in open lands and near water bodies in the area. Truck drivers told police that illegal dumping of waste has been done for many months mainly due to lack of adequate treatment facilities in tanneries, especially micro-level companies. As a result, around Rs 6,000 - Rs 8,000 has been charged to dispose of such leather wastes in open plots and water bodies during night. Residents said that Vaniyambadi town is surrounded by farming villages where cultivation is done at least three seasons in a year. Borewells were laid by the civic body in farming villages and waterbodies to meet growing water needs of residents in Vaniyambadi municipality limits. Such illegal dumping of leather wastes has contaminated the groundwater table and affected farming activities in the region. Police pacified agitated residents, who dispersed peacefully. Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) officials said that special teams will be formed to monitor safe disposal of wastes by tanneries in the region. TNPCB officials said that at present, the leather-making region covers Ranipet, Walajah, Vellore, Ambur and Vaniyambadi. More than 700 tanneries are located in the region, with Vaniyambadi alone accounting for around 40% of the total number. Most of the tanneries are thermal energy-based factories, emitting greenhouse gases. Thermal energy accounts for around 55% of the total energy consumption for leather-making. Wastes from smaller units were usually dumped in open lands and water bodies illegally as they cannot afford the expenses that incur for recycling leather wastes.
New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
NGT directs TNPCB to publish dos & don'ts before Ganesh festival'
CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued a directive to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), mandating a public announcement of penalties for environmental guideline violations during the forthcoming Ganesh Chaturthi festivities. The bench, comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member K Satyagopal, has directed TNPCB to initiate a public awareness campaign within one week and publish 'dos and don'ts' and penalty details by June 30. This intervention follows mounting concerns over the persistent use of plaster of paris (PoP) idols, synthetically painted idols, and the lack of eco-friendly immersion practices – factors identified as major polluters of waterbodies. Though the Central Pollution Control Board's (CPCB) guidelines have banned PoP since 2010 —and strengthened them in the 2020 revision —implementation has remained problematic, especially in urban coastal zones. The TNPCB counsel said it had cracked down on several unauthorised manufacturing units and sealed them. However, the violations have persisted. In Chennai alone, clean-up drives following last year's festival had removed approximately 150 metric tonnes of idol fragments and waste from beaches at Pattinapakkam, Kasimedu, Palavakkam and others. The NGT bench recognised that while religious sentiments have to be respected, they 'must not come at the cost of environmental integrity'. It said that the festival 'is not being curbed; the pollution is'. The tribunal also questioned why TNPCB was hesitant in the implementation of upfront 'polluter-pays' fee, which was suggested by the tribunal since early 2024. The TNPCB has resisted, citing legal complexity and religious sensitivity, though the NGT has reiterated this fee is essential to ensure clean-up costs are met by celebrants.
The Hindu
6 days ago
- Politics
- The Hindu
Immediately publicise ban on Plaster of Paris idols, NGT tells TNPCB
The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has criticised the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board for failing to publicise awareness campaigns on the guidelines for using eco-friendly idols. The bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, said the Board was taking a 'backseat' in enforcing environmental regulations and also urged it to clearly specify penalties for those who violate the rules by immersing Plaster of Paris (PoP) idols in waterbodies. In its order passed January 24, 2024, the bench directed a committee to meet at least six months before Vinayagar Chaturthi each year to ensure proper planning, including the creation of artificial tanks, early notification of waterbodies, and prevention of PoP idol manufacture. When the case came up for compliance reporting on Tuesday, the bench questioned whether any posters had been displayed outlining the do's and don'ts to prevent the manufacture of idols made from PoP and other harmful materials. With a little over two months to go for the festival, the bench also asked if steps had been taken to restrict the entry of such idols from neighbouring States. In response, the counsel representing the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board TNPCB requested additional time to submit a report. The bench stressed that festivals should not contribute to environmental degradation. The bench suggested that makeshift waterbodies could be created where feasible, and a fee should be imposed for idol immersion. 'Let people immerse idols in a bucket of water, their own wells (if water is available), or in temporary waterbodies,' the bench recommended. It directed the TNPCB to submit an action-taken report by June 30, and to raise public awareness by publishing the do's and don'ts in newspapers. The Board was also instructed to announce penalties for violators.
New Indian Express
06-06-2025
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu gives sanctuary to Greater Flamingos at Dhanushkodi
CHENNAI: The state government notified the establishment of the Greater Flamingo Sanctuary at Dhanushkodi in Ramanathapuram on 524.78 hectares of land on the occasion of World Environment Day on Thursday. This apart, the state forest department also reinforced its workforce with a major recruitment drive and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) certified industries under the Voluntary Green Rating of Industries initiative, a first-of-its-kind. Marking the occasion, Chief Minister MK Stalin handed over the appointment letters along with the rating certificates to the industries. He also pledged his commitment to protecting the environment. Speaking at the event, Stalin said, 'Biodiversity and climate change are deeply interconnected. Tamil Nadu is leading the way as a state that not only understands this relationship but is also taking proactive steps in response.' 'We aspire not merely to achieve a US $1 trillion economy, but to ensure that it is environmentally sustainable. In driving this shift, we are empowering our young people with the skills and platforms they need,' he added. The Greater Flamingo Sanctuary, located within the ecologically sensitive Gulf of Mannar Biosphere Reserve, is a critical stopover along the Central Asian Flyway. This region supports 128 bird species, including Greater and Lesser Flamingos. The area features diverse ecosystems – sand dunes, marshes, and mangrove forests like Avicennia and Rhizophora, which stabilise the coastline and provide habitats for marine life, including fish, crustaceans, molluscs, and nesting sea turtles. The notification issued by additional chief secretary Supriya Sahu aims to safeguard this biodiversity hotspot and promote responsible tourism, benefiting local communities in Ramanathapuram.
Time of India
01-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
Tonnes of waste cleared daily, but GCC merely dumps it at shut sites?
1 2 Chennai: Chennai clears its streets of construction waste every day — but where does it all go? Nowhere, says the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), in a detailed report submitted to the National Green Tribunal. Despite the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) collecting nearly 1,000 metric tonnes of construction and demolition (C&D) waste daily, the two official processing sites — Perungudi and Kodungaiyur — remain shut, with waste continuing to pile up since their closure. Perungudi stopped functioning in August 2024, while Kodungaiyur followed in December. Though both plants were set up in 2020 with a capacity of 400 MT per day and had valid consents to operate until 2030, the shutdown rendered the collection exercise incomplete. The collected debris is now accumulating at these very sites, violating environmental norms and threatening to undo efforts made under the Construction and Demolition Waste Management Rules, 2016. The TNPCB report also notes that GCC identified 25 dumping hotspots across the city, with persistent illegal dumping near parks, metro rail stations, and even crematoria. While GCC claims to have outsourced C&D collection and transportation to a private contractor, the TNPCB inspections across all 15 city zones confirm that the final step — processing — is not happening. The Board's photos from the ground further confirm this stagnation. In response to a Central Pollution Control Board alert over repeated violations, TNPCB has now issued formal directions to GCC under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. The civic body has been asked to comply with the 2016 rules, act against violators, and implement CPCB's 2017 guidelines on environmental management of C&D waste. The report concludes by urging the Tribunal to instruct GCC to restore operations at existing plants and install additional capacity, considering the city's daily waste generation. "They shut the Perungudi plant in August and Kodungaiyur in December, yet keep collecting 1,000 tonnes daily. Where is it all going? In Valmiki Nagar, over 50 tonnes were cleared once, but it came back in weeks. Without processing, the waste is just getting dumped elsewhere," said Karthikeyan, a Thiruvanmiyur resident.
