Aafrin Kidwai 
The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has directed Chitlapakkam Town Panchayat to pay Rs 8 lakh as compensation for improper solid waste management, causing damage to the environment.
The National Green Tribunal (NGT) directed the TNPCB to fine Chitlapakkam after reports of domestic waste and bio-medical waste being dumped illegally on roadsides with no action being taken by the local authorities.
As the situation turned worse during the lockdown, NGT Southern Zone took suo motu cognizance and constituted a joint committee comprising officials from relevant government departments to inspect and submit its recommendations.
Town panchayat officials attributed the trouble during lockdown to an administrative issue between them and a self-help group roped in temporarily. They also claimed that issue was resolved now as Ramanujam Social Service Society has been chosen through a formal tender process for collecting and disposing of waste efficiently.
According to official data, the panchayat currently generates around 11 metric tonnes of solid waste from 11,220 households and 250 commercial establishments every day, reports The Times of India.
