Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Re-export of hazardous waste to U.S. ordered

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Friday directed the Union government, Tuticorin Port Trust, Customs and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB), Bangalore, to destuff the “municipal waste and hazardous waste” from containers at the Tuticorin port at the cost and expenditure of ITC Limited and see that the cargo is re-exported to the USA, country of origin.

Dismissing an appeal filed by ITC with a total cost of Rs.50,000, to be paid by the company to the Tamil Nadu Legal Services Authority, Chennai, within two weeks, a Division Bench, comprising Justices Elipe Dharma Rao and R. Subbiah, said the containers of the Norasia Container Lines should be handed over to it immediately by ITC and Indev Shipping Services (Tuticorin) Pvt. Ltd., Tuticorin, after destuffing the contents. The Bench said since at every stage of the matter, it found gross violation of directions issued by the Customs officials and CPCB by ITC, it was recommending the Union government and Commissioner of Customs, Tuticorin, to initiate legal proceedings against the officers concerned at the helm of affairs of the appellant who had masterminded such illegal ideas, “posing danger to Mother Nature in India,” within 12 weeks.

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