NGT questions Tambaram Corporation Commissioner’s absence in biomedical waste dumping case

National Green Tribunal questions Tambaram Corporation Commissioner for issuing waste dumping receipts without receiving payment from hospitals.

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal on Monday questioned why the Commissioner of the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation was “hiding” and did not appear via videoconference to explain how receipts were given to two private hospitals for dumping waste, even though no payment had been made.

The Bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati, was hearing a suo motu case regarding the illegal dumping of mixed solid and biomedical waste along the Pallavaram lake bund. It noted with disapproval that neither the counsel for the Tambaram Corporation appeared nor was the report, requested during the previous hearing, submitted.

Initially, the Tambaram Corporation had submitted a report stating that penalties of ₹5 lakh each were levied on MIOT Hospital and GEM Hospitals, and payments had been received. However, both hospitals later denied having made any such payment.

During the earlier hearing on February 18, the Tambaram Corporation’s sanitation officer, who had appeared before the Bench, admitted that no payments were actually received. He said he had issued a “spot penalty” following a visit to the hospitals, but could not justify how receipts were signed and issued prior to payment.

At the time, the Bench had directed the Corporation Commissioner to submit a detailed report and appear via videoconference if necessary. It had specifically sought an explanation for the issuance and accounting of receipts prior to payments being made. However, on Monday, no report was filed, and the Tambaram Corporation’s counsel was again absent. The Bench directed the Tambaram Corporation Commissioner to submit a report before the next hearing scheduled for May 1.