The Tribunal noted that the figures furnished by the Corporation were disputed by the applicant’s counsel, who contended that they were inconsistent with those reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). | Photo Credit: M. Periasamy
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Corporation Commissioner to submit exact waste figures and a reclamation plan, after the civic body’s timeline slipped past an earlier October 2026 deadline
The National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, Chennai, has directed the Coimbatore Corporation Commissioner to submit a comprehensive action plan for clearing the legacy waste accumulated at the Vellalore dump yard and reclaiming the site, seeking exact figures on the waste quantity and an assessment of the feasibility of creating a waterbody on the reclaimed land.
The direction was issued on October 12, 2026, while hearing a batch of cases concerning the Vellalore dump yard. The Tribunal noted that the figures furnished by the Corporation were disputed by the applicant's counsel, who contended that they were inconsistent with those reported by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).
The Commissioner was directed to be prepared with the exact figures, the proposed course of action to minimise the accumulated waste and future proposals for reclaiming the site, taking into account the CPCB's reports.
In its latest action-taken status report, dated October 10, 2026, the Corporation stated that it expects to complete Phase II of the biomining project by May 2027. Of the 7,94,139 tonnes of legacy waste identified for processing under Phase II, 5,58,993.86 tonnes (70.39%) have been processed, leaving 2,35,145.14 tonnes to be cleared. The Corporation has estimated that the remaining work will take seven months.
The revised timeline extends beyond the deadline previously fixed by the Tribunal. In earlier orders, the Tribunal had observed that the biomining infrastructure at the site was inadequate to complete the work within the stipulated period and directed the Corporation to augment its processing capacity by deploying additional machinery. It had also directed the civic body to clear the legacy waste by October 2026.
Corporation officials had subsequently indicated that the October deadline was unlikely to be met and that the work was expected to be completed by December 2026.
The Tribunal has also directed the Commissioner to submit a report on the proposal to undertake bio-fencing on the reclaimed land and create a waterbody at the site. The report should examine the advantages and disadvantages of creating a waterbody in an area where leachate has already percolated into the ground, as well as the feasibility and suitability of storing water there.
Commissioner Katta Ravi Teja appeared before the Tribunal through video conferencing and presented the Corporation's action plan, while seeking time to furnish further clarifications. Observing that the matter had been pending since 2022, the Tribunal said it wanted to bring the proceedings to a conclusion and called for a comprehensive action plan addressing all the issues raised.
The proceedings include a suo motu case initiated following a The Hindu report dated April 7, 2024, titled "Fire Breaks Out at Vellalore Landfill in Coimbatore."
The Bench, comprising Judicial Member Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Expert Member Prashant Gargava, posted the matter for further hearing on November 20, 2026.
Published - October 18, 2026 04:38 pm IST