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Time of India
2 days ago
- 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.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Noise hazard: Power loom units may face upgrades
Chennai: Power loom units in Tamil Nadu may soon face mandatory upgrades as a study highlights noise hazards. Tamil Nadu's 5.68 lakh power loom units, including over 89,000 in Salem and 19,350 in Tharamangalam alone, may soon have to reduce their noise levels or face restrictions. A detailed study reviewed by the Tamil Nadu pollution control board (TNPCB) has flagged serious health and environmental concerns from traditional shuttle looms. The study, conducted by the centre for environmental studies (CES) at Anna University and shared with power loom associations and departments like MSME, TANSIDCO, and SIDBI, identifies shuttle movement in conventional looms as the primary cause of noise. In some cases, individual exposure exceeds permissible limits, but many operators are either unaware or afraid to acknowledge it, fearing job loss. The CES report recommends upgrading old looms to shuttle-less rapier looms and installing soundproof barriers at doors and windows using transparent materials. These changes, the study notes, can reduce ambient noise levels to the CPCB standards for residential areas situated 6 to 7.5 metres away from loom units. However, the upgrade won't be easy. Converting a single loom is estimated to cost between 1,00,000 and 1,50,000. Officials and industry representatives pointed out that immediate large-scale conversion is not feasible. Most operators in the Tharamangalam area produce polyester blends, dhotis, towels, and uniform cloths for the govt's welfare schemes, making them heavily dependent on existing loom types. The department of handlooms stated that product-specific considerations should be factored in and that conversion decisions cannot be rushed. Meanwhile, TANSIDCO suggested a funding model where up to 70% of the cost could be covered through a mix of govt subsidy, long-term bank loans, and owner contribution. Other concerns raised include the lack of trained mechanics, supply chain issues, and difficulty in converting older looms to newer types such as air-jet or water-jet models. The CES clarified that water-jet looms generate 85 dBA, which is lower than rapier or projectile types, but conversions to these are not technically feasible with existing equipment. At a recent meeting, loom associations, including the Kumaran Powerloom & General Workers Union, gave written acceptance of the study's recommendations but called for phased implementation. The matter is now before the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone).
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- General
- New Indian Express
Shore cleanup steps up in Kanniyakumari as container from sunken MSC Elsa III washes ashore
KANNIYAKUMARI: Shoreline protection activities have been intensified a day after a container, from the vessel MSC Elsa III vessel that sank 38 kilometres off the Kochi coast last Sunday, washed ashore at the Vaniyakudi beach in the district on Thursday morning. A team of senior officials from several departments, including the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), oversaw the recovery of the container and the removal of debris, as part of the shore cleaning activities on Friday. Volunteers from various agencies, including MSC Marine Engineering Resources Centre (MERC) in Porbandar, Gujarat, were involved. Eight Navy officers, led by a commander, joined the recovery efforts, while officials from the Gujarat Marine Police took part in a consultation meeting with Kanniyakumari collector Alagumeena. Incidentally, teak wood logs and raw cashews, among other products washed ashore at Chinnavilai in Kanniyakumari coast on Friday, resulting in people gathering along the shore to collect cashews. Sources said various kinds of cargo, including large quantities of nurdles (tiny microplastics), wooden logs, cast iron rods and bags of cashew nuts, have been washing up on the shores between Neerodi and Kadiyapattinam fishing hamlets for the past four days. Seeking cooperation from the public, the collector urged them not to handle the nurdles. The district administration has taken precautionary measures as per the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) issued by Kerala state disaster management department.
New Indian Express
4 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Tamil Nadu CM Stalin reviews environmental impact of MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck
CHENNAI: Chief Minister MK Stalin on Friday chaired a high-level review meeting at the secretariat to address the environmental impact of the MSC ELSA 3 shipwreck off the Kochi coast. The Liberian-flagged cargo vessel capsized 38 nautical miles off Kerala, releasing plastic nurdles, fuel, and other hazardous materials into the sea. Due to the southwest monsoon, debris washed ashore along parts of Kerala and the west coast of Kanniyakumari district. The meeting focused on safe disposal of plastic nurdles along the southern coastal districts of Kanniyakumari, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and Ramanathapuram. An environmental impact assessment is being done by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), in coordination with the National Institute of Ocean Technology and other expert agencies. The fisheries department has restricted fishing activities in affected areas and is investigating the possibility of nurdle ingestion by marine species. District collectors, under the guidance of the State Disaster Management Authority, have been directed to coordinate with the police and volunteers for safe clean-up, a release said. While no hazardous materials have reached Tamil Nadu shores so far, the chief minister has ordered officials to ensure continous monitoring, conduct both short- and long-term impact studies, and expedite assessments of marine life health. Stalin highlighted the importance of protecting the region's marine ecosystem, drawing parallel with the 2021 X-Press Pearl disaster off the coast of Sri Lanka. TN constitutes committee, seeks public opinion on bus fare revision Chennai: The state government has issued a notification inviting public opinion on a proposed hike in bus fare. A committee headed by the transport commissioner has also been constituted to examine the proposal, following a directive from the Madras High Court. The court issued the order while hearing a petition filed by the Private Bus Operators Association seeking a fare revision. As per the notification, public can send their comments by post to the office of the transport commissioner in Guindy.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Appointed at 74: TNPCB recruits super-seniors for regular posts
CHENNAI: At a time when several lakh qualified youngsters remain unemployed and await govt job openings, Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has appointed a Rajendiran, aged 74, as its 'librarian' with a salary of not less than Rs 1 lakh. The TNPCB library has about 11,000 books on topics ranging from policies, pollution, disasters and the environment. He is not alone. TNPCB has appointed three more people, aged 64-65 years, in different capacities. Tamilarasan, 64, who had retired from prohibition and excise department, Sampath, 65, who retired from home department, and Narayanan, 65, who superannuated in finance department, have all been recently hired by TNPCB. These 'officials' are now earning their last drawn salary, of course minus pension. When contacted, TNPCB chairperson M Jayanthi said: 'Youngsters are not willing to come to these departments, nor do they have the expertise to handle this. Finance is a major department. We can only appoint seniors in that. So, a senior retired officer from the finance department was posted here. Similarly, it is a tough task to manage a library, and the 74-year-old is an experienced librarian. They are doing their job well. ' 'We asked the govt for postings, and all these four staff members were recommended by the Secretariat. We do recruit youngsters, but they have not yet attained the necessary experience,' she said. These late-stage appointments have drawn criticism from govt employees and secretariat staff associations, who say TNPSC should recruit fresh candidates and promote and train their mid-level staff with the necessary expertise. G Venkadesan, president of the Tamil Nadu Secretariat Association, condemned govt departments for infinite extensions, and said: 'Seniors who retire get extensions and then continue to occupy the top roles and call the shots, drawing their last drawn salary.' It is the duty of the departments to ensure knowledge-sharing, train youngsters and mid-level staff for the higher positions. The association also wrote to chief minister M K Stalin on March 11, condemning the state special projects implementation department for floating newspaper advertisements to hire retired officials, with tailor-made requirements such as 'a deputy secretary rank officer who had worked in the secretariat'. Such late-stage recruitments violate the 69% reservation rule too. M Anbarasu, former president of JATCO-GEO, said the govt should hire fresh recruits through TNPSC and train the mid-level officers for posts with bigger responsibilities. 'Re-appointing retired officials will deny govt jobs to youths,' he said.
