Coimbatore NGT Slams Waste System

The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, has severely criticized Coimbatore Corporation's waste management practices, deeming them inadequate for both fresh and legacy waste.

The Tribunal's observations stem from proceedings initiated after a petition and the April 2024 Vellalore dumpyard fire. A technical report by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) confirmed significant deficiencies in waste processing facilities.

CPCB data indicated that Coimbatore generates 1,293 tonnes of solid waste daily. Despite a stated source segregation rate of 91%-95%, only 10 out of 36 inspected Micro Composting Centres were functional, operating at drastically reduced capacity and efficiency.

The Windrow Composting Plant also showed a 73% shortfall in required area, processing approximately 460 tonnes of wet waste daily but recovering only about 60 tonnes of compost, with efficiency below 12%.

Compounding these issues, the Corporation had not obtained necessary authorization for its sanitary dumpyard. Stagnant leachate and inadequate treatment facilities were observed. Groundwater contamination was a critical finding, with 17 borewells near Vellalore exceeding drinking water standards for TDS, chloride, BOD, copper, and nickel.

Nearly 89 lakh tonnes of legacy waste remain at the Vellalore site, posing a significant challenge. The NGT noted that the existing processing capacity is insufficient to meet the Corporation's proposed Phase II bio-mining deadline of October 2026.

The NGT has directed the Corporation Commissioner to submit a comprehensive report on actions taken and a time-bound plan for implementing recommendations. The Commissioner must also explain the dumpyard fire and outline future prevention measures.