Hours after it came to light that bio-medical waste from Kerala was illegally dumped in multiple locations in Tamil Nadu’s Tirunelveli district, government authorities in both states continue to dodge accountability. Medical documents bearing the name of Regional Cancer Centre (RCC), a state-owned cancer care hospital and research centre in Kerala, were found from one of the locations, which pointed to the origin of medical waste, reported TNIE.
When TNM visited the RCC office to seek their response on the incident, the authorities blamed it on waste management agencies. One of these agencies—IMAGE (Indian Medical Association Goes Eco-Friendly)—however, denied any connection to the waste dumping.
Reports emerged on December 17 that biomedical waste had been dumped in Kodaganallur and Palavoor villages in Tirunelveli district. Found among the waste were also medical documents including patient consent forms for a catheter procedure at the RCC in Thiruvananthapuram. The document includes the patient ID, name and signature of the patient and of their caretaker—raising doubts about medical data privacy, alongside health and environmental concerns for the villages’ residents. Similarly, documents from Credence Hospital & IVF Centre—a private establishment—such as doctors’ leave application forms that contain internal details including the doctor’s hospital code, date and nature of leaves taken, were also found.
Biomedical waste, generated during the diagnosis, treatment or immunisation of humans or animals, are to be segregated at the point of generation in colour-coded bags and are to be disposed through methods like incineration or autoclaving.
In Thiruvanathapuram, RCC claimed that they do not dispose of any patient data. “Medical records of patients are handled with the utmost care and in strict compliance with established protocols to ensure privacy and security. We do not include patient details or treatment information in paper waste. All such documents are securely stored with our medical records department. The diet plan and the consent letter might have been lost by the patient themselves or their caregivers,” authorities at RCC told TNM.
However, this does not explain how such documents could have been dumped in a village situated across the Kerala border.
RCC authorities shrugged off responsibility, instead pointing towards two waste management firms – Sunage Eco System Private Limited and IMAGE – with which they have agreements. “We have adopted robust mechanisms to manage hospital waste safely and responsibly. The hospital’s general waste is collected and treated by Sunage Eco System—an agency approved by the Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and Kerala Suchitwa Mission. Biomedical waste, including contaminated plastics, sharps, glassware, and clinical waste, is collected and treated by IMAGE, an organization operating under the Indian Medical Association (IMA),” they said.
The RCC authorities said they will conduct a probe into the allegation and take necessary action. “We have not yet made any decision regarding the cancellation of the agency contracts. We will discuss it and decide,” they told TNM.
When TNM reached out to IMAGE, Operation Manager Peter Samuel denied any connection to the Tirunelveli incident, adding that the firm did not dump waste, and only processed it. “We collect biomedical waste from different hospitals in Kerala and dispose of it. There is a biomedical waste management plant in Kanjikkode near Palakkad and we dispose of the waste there daily. Basically, we treat and dispose of waste,” he said.
Peter alleged that some health establishments give plastic biomedical waste – which has monetary value – to scrap vendors. He said IMAGE had lodged a complaint with the Kerala government, KSPCB and other related government offices regarding this.
The Kerala State Medical Council (KSMC) could not be reached for comments. In Tamil Nadu, TNM reached out to Health Secretary Supriya Sahu but received no response. The copy would be updated once we receive them. Tirunelveli Superintendent of Police (SP) Silmabarasan said that an FIR has been lodged under BNS sections 271 (negligent act likely to spread infection) and 272 (malignant act likely to spread infection) and the Environment Protection Act (EPA). He added that investigations are ongoing, but that no one has been named in the FIR as yet.
The office of the Tirunelveli district collector informed that the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Department of Rural Development and Panchayat Raj are also conducting investigations. TNPCB Chairperson Jayanthi M said they would take further action based on their inquiry report.
This is not the first time such reports have emerged from Tamil Nadu districts sharing a border with Kerala. In 2023, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) took suo motu cognisance after ten tonnes of plastic, medical, and domestic waste from Kerala dumped at multiple locations near Nanguneri also in Tirunelveli district on October 7.
The same year, TNM also reported on how for over a decade, districts in Tamil Nadu that border Kerala have become dump yards for all kinds of waste, often unsegregated. Such dumping has occurred in border-villages like Pudupatti, Panayamkurichi, and Kuruvankottai in Tenkasi district as well.
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