NGT Orders Safety Audit of Hazardous Waste Facilities After Gummidipoondi Fire

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a comprehensive safety audit of all common hazardous waste treatment, storage, and disposal facilities in Tamil Nadu. The directive follows a suo motu case taken up after a chemical waste fire broke out at a private toxic waste management facility within the SIPCOT complex in Gummidipoondi, Tiruvallur, in May 2024.

The Bench, comprising judicial member Justice Pushpa Sathya Narayana and expert member Prashant Gargava, directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to undertake the audit in collaboration with the State Fire and Rescue Services Department. The joint initiative aims to assess the adequacy of fire prevention measures at these units, identify safety deficiencies, and issue corrective directions.

The May 2024 incident involved a heap of chemical waste catching fire at a private industrial unit's facility. The fire caused incomplete combustion of polymeric materials, which triggered dense black smoke that engulfed the surrounding area for some time.

While the NGT noted that the fire broke out in a temporary storage area and found no evidence of incompatible hazardous wastes being stored together, it emphasized that a higher degree of vigilance and preventive safety measures was expected from the industrial unit.

In the order delivered by Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, the tribunal observed that the incident occurred during May, when ambient temperatures were at their highest. The NGT noted that the high temperatures may have triggered an accidental ignition, calling it a foreseeable risk that the unit ought to have taken into account when storing such materials.

Under the newly ordered safety audit, the State Fire and Rescue Services Department will inspect and verify compliance across various facilities. The inspections will focus on storage practices, firefighting infrastructure, the availability of mobile firefighting equipment, and the adequacy of hydrant accessibility.

Additionally, officials will review the maintenance of fire water reservoirs and ensure the timely disposal of combustible scrap materials at the hazardous waste management facilities.