Tamil Nadu Authorities Heighten Surveillance at Kerala Border Checkpoints After Medical Waste Incident in Tirunelveli

Chennai, Dec 18 (NationPress) The Tamil Nadu authorities have significantly strengthened security protocols at border checkpoints with Kerala after alarming reports emerged regarding medical waste being illegally discarded in a public area at Palavoor, Kadangallur, in the Tirunelveli district.

Patrols have been augmented across various checkpoints in districts such as Kanyakumari, Coimbatore, Gudalur, and Theni. The police in Tirunelveli have issued warnings of strict repercussions for those found guilty of illegal waste disposal.

Environmental activists have raised concerns, claiming that significant volumes of medical waste are being transported unlawfully from Kerala and discarded in Tamil Nadu, urging regulatory bodies to implement rigorous measures to combat such hazardous practices.

The local police in Palavoor have filed a case under Sections 271 and 272 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the Environment Protection Act. Investigations are ongoing to identify the offenders using CCTV footage from key locations. Officials from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Department of Rural Development have conducted site inspections to assess the severity of the situation.

This incident is indicative of a broader trend of unlawful waste disposal. Reports suggest that biomedical, food, and plastic waste from Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Regional Cancer Centre (RCC) and a private hospital have been found dumped across several villages in Kodaganallur and Palavoor in Tamil Nadu. The waste comprises dangerous items such as used syringes, PPE kits, and medical records containing sensitive personal information, raising serious concerns regarding health, environmental safety, and data privacy.

Authorities suspect that the illegal dumping has been occurring for several months, often under the cover of darkness. Trucks believed to be transporting materials for a nearby paper mill are thought to be involved in these activities. Despite numerous complaints from local landowners, effective action has yet to be taken.

This hazardous waste dumping has also tainted local water supplies, adversely affecting livestock and causing health issues among residents. Sensitive medical documents, including patient information and treatment plans, were discovered at the site, indicating significant failures in waste disposal practices and data protection.

The District Collector has instructed local officials and the TNPCB to probe the situation and take legal measures, including filing FIRs. However, reports indicate that substantial progress has yet to be made.

K. Annamalai, the BJP state president for Tamil Nadu, has criticized the inaction of the state government, accusing Chief Minister M.K. Stalin of neglecting the interests of Tamil Nadu. In a statement on the social media platform X, Annamalai alleged that the DMK government’s alliance with Kerala’s Communist government has turned Tamil Nadu’s border areas into dumping grounds for biomedical, plastic, and meat waste from Kerala.

He further claimed that border checkpoints, instead of serving as barriers to illegal waste transport, have become collection points for such activities. Annamalai also criticized the DMK government for failing to address both waste dumping and mineral smuggling from Tamil Nadu into Kerala.

The BJP leader has warned of statewide protests in January 2025 if the situation is not resolved, pledging to personally lead the first truck carrying biomedical waste back to Kerala.

Resident associations in Tirunelveli have joined the call for immediate action, demanding prompt measures to halt the illegal dumping of medical waste purportedly transported from Kerala.