Latest news with #PushpaSathyanarayana
The Hindu
17-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
NGT directs Apollo Tyres to strictly enforce plastic waste management guidelines
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed Apollo Tyres Limited to strictly comply with plastic waste management regulations and extended producer responsibility (EPR) norms, following allegations of improper disposal of used plastic jumbo bags containing traces of carbon black. The order was issued while disposing of a petition filed by J. Parthiban of Tiruvallur, who alleged that the firm was discarding large HDPE jumbo bags used for transporting carbon black — an important tyre ingredient — into local markets. These bags, reportedly still containing carbon black residue, were being repurposed by the public for agricultural and domestic uses, such as storing cattle feed and roofing. He alleged that this led to potential health hazards and contamination, particularly during rainfall. Apollo Tyres denied any wrongdoing, contending carbon black is non-hazardous and that all empty bags are thoroughly cleaned and handed over to a registered recycler, M/s. Jeeva Enterprises. The company, which generated about 5,000 empty bags a month, said it had taken measures to prevent dust emissions and improper disposal. It added that due to supplier concerns, it had stopped reusing bags after 2022 and now ensured proper recycling through authorised channels. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) confirmed that the company held a valid Consent to Operate and followed zero liquid discharge practices. However, it had earlier advised the company to avoid selling used bags to scrap vendors and work only with authorised recyclers. Apollo Tyres also submitted that replacing the bags with silos or tankers at its Chennai plant was not feasible due to space and infrastructure limitations. However, the company proposed to cut and clean the bags before sending them to recyclers to prevent unauthorised reuse, even though it would increase operational costs. The Bench, led by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, concluded Apollo Tyres had not violated any environmental norms but directed the company to fully implement the guidelines issued by the Central Pollution Control Board and comply with its own undertaking.
The Hindu
15-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT seeks clarity from T.N. govt. on sand dumping along the Adyar near Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge's eastern side
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Water Resources Department (WRD) and the State Highways Department to submit separate reports explaining the reasons behind sand dumping along the northern bank of the Adyar near the eastern side of Thiru. Vi. Ka. Bridge. The direction was issued during a recent hearing in a case filed by the Ramaniyam Towers Residents' Association. The matter was originally filed in the Madras High Court as a writ petition and was later transferred to the Bench. The residents' association has alleged that sand was being dumped under the pretext of strengthening the river bund, but in reality, it was being done to facilitate the construction of a proposed link road. The road is meant to connect Greenways Road with Durgabhai Deshmukh Road via the Tamil Nadu Music College campus. While the State government claims that the road is essential for easing traffic congestion in the area, the applicant argues that a portion of the proposed route falls within a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), where construction is restricted to protect the environment. The Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, said the Madras High Court had earlier ordered status quo on the CRZ stretch, and this order would continue to remain in effect. At the same time, it clarified that the government was free to carry on with other parts of the road project that did not fall within the CRZ or on the disputed riverbank area. The Bench also asked the State Highways Department to examine the possibility of realigning the road through the premises of Dr. M.G.R. Janaki College of Arts and Science. It observed that if the road was built entirely within the college compound, the residents would likely have no further objections. The WRD has also been asked to clearly state whether the sand dumping was being done solely for strengthening the river bund or if it also serves the road construction. Until this is explained, no work can be carried out on the affected stretch along the river, the Bench added, and posted the matter for further hearing on July 30.
The Hindu
07-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT directs TNPCB to enforce stricter norms for quarries
The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to adopt stricter standards while granting or renewing Consent to Operate (CTO) for quarrying and mining units across the State. Delivering the judgement in response to a cluster of cases on quarrying and mining violations, the bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satugopal Korlapati, said that no quarrying activity shall be allowed to continue unless all penalties for past environmental violations are fully recovered. In the cases addressed in the verdict, violations included non-compliance with mandated safety distances, absence of proper fencing and greenbelt development, failure to implement dust control measures, and extraction beyond approved limits. The Department of Geology and Mining has imposed penalties ranging from a few lakhs to over ₹33 crore, several of which are currently under appeal. Highlighting the severe environmental and health risks posed by dust emissions from quarrying operations, particularly from activities such as drilling, blasting, excavation, and transportation of materials on unpaved roads, the bench advised TNPCB to impose mandatory conditions such as water sprinkling, greenbelt development, laying of tarred roads, and enclosure of dust-generating equipment before granting any CTO. The order recommended that project proponents begin greenbelt development at the application stage itself to ensure saplings are adequately grown by the time operations commence. In its verdict, the bench made it clear the TNPCB must not grant fresh CTOs or renew existing ones unless full compliance with earlier directions and penalties is ensured. It also directed the authorities to initiate recovery proceedings under the Revenue Recovery Act wherever penalties remain unpaid.
New Indian Express
04-07-2025
- New Indian Express
Fix GPS tracking system on sewage tankers: NGT to CCMC
COIMBATORE: The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation (CCMC) to ensure that all sewage and septic tank cleaning tankers operating in the city are equipped with GPS tracking devices within three months. The directive comes amid persistent complaints from residents of Ukkadam and Anbu Nagar about foul odour and health hazards caused by improper waste management. The tribunal took suo motu cognizance of news reports published in December 2023, which highlighted the public protest held outside the CCMC headquarters. Residents demanded the relocation of the sewage treatment plant in Ukkadam, blaming it for unbearable stench and unsanitary conditions. However, in its latest order, tribunal judge Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Sathyagopal stated that the core issue lies in unauthorised sewage tankers dumping untreated waste in open areas, not in the treatment plant itself. The bench ruled that relocating the facility is unnecessary but stressed the need for stricter monitoring and infrastructure upgrades. The civic body has also been ordered to complete pending sewage infrastructure within six months and to strictly enforce the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016. Additionally, the practice of dumping construction debris, sand, and plastic waste in open spaces must be completely stopped.
The Hindu
30-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
NGT seeks new systems for debris removal along Kochi backwaters, coastline
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has asked the Department of Local Self-Government, Kerala State Pollution Control Board, and the Ernakulam District Collector to file a report on the possibility of deploying modern equipment, including sea bins and amphibious waste removal systems, for the effective removal of floating debris from the backwaters and coastal waters. The Southern Bench of the tribunal made the recommendation while considering the case pertaining to the impact of garbage pile-ups on the tourism potential of the Fort Kochi coastline. An order dated June 20,2025 issued by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, Judicial Member, and Dr. Satyagopal Korlapati, Expert Member, stated that the Ernakulam District Collector and the Kochi Corporation had not yet filed their reports on garbage deposits along the Fort Kochi beach and its premises. The Bench has posted the matter for the next hearing on August 14, 2025. Besides the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, the Kochi Corporation and the District Collector, the tribunal had included the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) as respondent in the case. In a report dated March 17, 2025, the CPCB had informed the Bench that it was the responsibility of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, the Kochi Corporation and the Ernakulam district administration to initiate necessary action against the garbage pile-up along the Fort Kochi beach in Ernakulam. As per the Solid Waste Management (SWM) Rules, it is the duty of the local authorities to facilitate the construction, maintenance, and operation of solid waste processing facilities and associated infrastructure. Local bodies and panchayats were entrusted with the primary responsibility of collection and management of municipal solid waste, maintenance and operation of the solid waste processing sites and dumping yards, it said. It is the duty of the State Urban Affairs department to ensure the implementation of provisions of the SWM rules by all the local authorities. The State pollution control boards are also entrusted with the responsibility of issuing authorisation to the local bodies after examining the proposals related to waste management, according to the report. The Kochi Corporation had submitted a report before the State Pollution Control Board on March 14, 2025 stating that the waste pile-up along the beach had been removed.
