Chennai: Following a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order, Kerala state government officials started removing medical waste from the state that was allegedly dumped in neighbouring Tamil Nadu by waste management contractors.

A Kerala team led by Assistant Collector Albert has initiated the removal process.

Eight trucks have been deployed to transport the waste back to Kerala. The dumping of medical waste in Tirunelveli has sparked outrage in Tamil Nadu, particularly in areas like Nadukallur, Kodaganallur, Kondanagaram, and Suthamalli, where the waste was dumped.

Complaints have been lodged with the Suthamalli police, resulting in six cases being registered. Two individuals from Tirunelveli, including a lorry owner and a supervisor of a private waste management company from Kerala, have been arrested for their alleged involvement in the illegal transport and dumping of the waste.

Large quantities of bio-medical, plastic, and food waste from the Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre and a private hospital in Kerala were found dumped in the Kodaganallur and Palavoor villages of Tirunelveli.

The waste included hazardous materials such as used syringes, PPE kits, and medical records containing sensitive personal information, raising serious health, environmental, and data privacy concerns.

Residents have reported that the medical waste dumping, often occurring at night, has polluted local water sources, harmed livestock, and caused health issues.

Taking cognisance of the matter suo motu following media reports, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the Kerala government “to remove the waste of all nature dumped inside Tamil Nadu forthwith and either take it to Kerala or arrange to get them treated in any authorised treatment facilities.”

“We are constrained to pass the said order, as in the earlier incident, the Government of Tamil Nadu had quickly removed the waste after segregation, incurring an expenditure of about Rs.70,000, which is yet to be reimbursed by the state of Kerala,” the NGT said.

Police suspect trucks, allegedly transporting medical waste from Kerala to a nearby paper mill, are involved in the illegal dumping.

(With inputs from agencies)