Chennai: Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) must ensure uninterrupted processing of construction and demolition waste and enforce compliance with waste management rules, the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has ordered.Noting that processing facilities in Kodungaiyur and Perungudi ceased operations in 2024, the tribunal directed GCC to arrange alternatives.The order came in a case the tribunal took up suo motu in 2024 following news reports that GCC had identified 25 hotspots where construction waste was dumped. The tribunal said waste generators were responsible for managing it and directed GCC to monitor compliance with the rules. “Though GCC has issued guidelines for construction and debris waste management and prevention of illegal dumping, compliance with the prescribed requirements should be made mandatory for building-plan approval,” the bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Prashant Gargava said.The bench said authorities should issue completion certificates only if construction projects comply with construction and demolition waste management rules. The tribunal also directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to monitor the collection, transportation, processing and disposal of such waste across the state and ensure compliance with the law and guidelines.
