Latest news with #TamilNaduPollutionControlBoard
India Today
6 hours ago
- Health
- India Today
National Green Tribunal issues notice to Chennai collector over canal pollution
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued notices to the Chennai District Collector and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, seeking their responses regarding pollution concerns in the Captain Cotton Canal in Tribunal was hearing a suo motu (initiated on its own, without formal complaint or petition from an external party) case concerning the Captain Cotton Canal, which has become severely clogged due to the widespread dumping of garbage and the discharge of untreated an order dated May 29, a bench of NGT Chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava and expert member A Senthil Vel said, "As per the news item, the situation becomes particularly dire at the stretch near Anderson Road, close to the Ayanavaram bus stand, where heaps of plastic waste and garbage severely impede the water flow." The report further highlighted the discharge of untreated raw sewage directly into the canal, worsening its condition and contributing to the degradation of the once-functional waterway.'The news item indicates violation of the provisions of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, Solid Waste Management Rules and the Environment (Protection) Act,' the tribunal bench observed that the news report raised 'substantial issues' concerning compliance with environmental the tribunal added the Chennai District Collector and the Member Secretary of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board as parties to the case and directed: 'Issue notice to the above respondents for filing their response/reply.'advertisementThe matter has been scheduled to be heard before the NGT's Southern Zonal Bench in Chennai on August by Rahen Philip IN THIS STORY#Tamil Nadu
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.
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.
New Indian Express
5 days ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
CM Stalin launches ‘SimpleGov' to streamline government services
CHENNAI: Chief Minister M K Stalin on Thursday launched a set of self-certification, extended period of licences, simplified processes and exemptions under 10 different categories of government services under the 'SimpleGov'. The initiative was announced in this year's budget, allowing people to easily access services and significantly improve approval process for industries. The list included a self-certification process for buildings that require sanitation certificates, licences for old-age homes, hostels for working women and homes for women. These processes that earlier used to take anywhere between three months to one year can now be completed within a single day through online portals, a release said. Moreover, the period for which licences are issued at present for old-age homes, working women's hostels, and women's hostels have been extended from three years to 10 years. Similarly, the period of licences issued for public buildings has been extended from three years till the period mentioned in the stability certificate of the building. Importantly, the government has exempted 609 types of 'white category' industries from obtaining clearance from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board. The list of white category industries has been expanded from just 37 to 609 by the government after 'careful consideration,' the release said. The government has also done away with the need for a solvency certificate, needed to prove the financial stability of someone, since other instruments like bank statements, auditor's certificate and income tax filings are available to ascertain the same, the release said. Hailing the move, the CM, in his post on the X handle, said, 'The SimpleGov initiative is set to bring about a revolutionary transformation that will astonish both the public and industrial houses! A new dawn is on the horizon for the people's long-standing struggles.'
