Chennai: A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in Madras high court to direct the state government to implement effectively the bio-medical waste management rules, including the aspect of issuance of license to persons authorising to treat bio-medical waste.
When the PIL filed by Dr J. Umarani came up for hearing before a division bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M. Sundar, government pleader M.K. Subramanian submitted that a number of petitions with similar relief were filed before the Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal in Chennai, which has issued appropriate guidelines.
On perusal of the PIL, the bench however noticed that the aspect relating to issuance of licenses to treat bio-medical waste as substantive. The bench then directed the government to file an affidavit within three weeks, explaining whether such licenses have or have not been issued and if so, to whom.
In her PIL, Umarani submitted that currently there was no authorized body or person to handle bio-medical waste in the state, resulting in failure to treat and dispose such wastes as per the provisions of the bio-medical waste management rules.
The current position poses a serious threat to environment and health hazard to the general public, she stated in her PIL.
Therefore, she made a representation to the state government and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, highlighting the issue on August 22. However, there was no response. Hence, she filed this PIL, she added.
