Tue Feb 18 19:34:15 UTC 2025: ## Tambaram Municipality Under Scrutiny Over Missing ₹10 Lakh in Biomedical Waste Fines

**Chennai, February 19, 2025** – The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has summoned the Commissioner of the Tambaram City Municipal Corporation to explain discrepancies involving ₹10 lakh in fines levied against two private hospitals for illegal biomedical waste dumping.

The issue arose from a suo motu case concerning five tonnes of biomedical waste discovered near Pallavaram Periya Eri lake on September 24, 2024. The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) issued show-cause notices to GEM Hospitals and MIOT Hospitals after finding their letterheads among the waste.

The Tambaram Municipal Corporation initially claimed both hospitals had paid ₹5 lakh fines each, presenting receipts as proof. However, both hospitals denied making any payments during a December 18, 2024 hearing. A sanitation officer admitted no payment was received and couldn’t explain how receipts were issued before the alleged payment. The Corporation’s standing counsel hinted at a possible compromise between hospital representatives and police.

The hospitals’ lawyers refuted the allegations, stating that the presence of their letterheads didn’t confirm waste ownership and highlighted their use of a third-party waste disposal company, GJ Multiclave. The NGT has now included GJ Multiclave in the case and ordered the Corporation Commissioner to appear via videoconference at the next hearing on April 21. The Tribunal is investigating how the receipts were issued and where the ₹10 lakh in alleged fines is.

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