The Aranya, Parisara Mathu Havamana Badalavane Sangha has filed a plea with the National Green Tribunal (NGT), Southern Zone, urging it to hold the Palakkad railway division and National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) accountable for failing to manage waste under the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, and Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016.
The group informed the tribunal that solid and plastic waste continues to accumulate along railway tracks and national highways, despite both entities being designated as waste generators under Rule 4 and Rule 8 of the respective regulations. The NGT bench acknowledged the importance of the issue, appreciating the group’s proactive efforts in removing roadside waste and admitting the matter for hearing.
The tribunal instructed the petitioners to involve major local bodies located along the affected highway stretches. The case has been scheduled for hearing on July 14.
Benedict Fernandes, the Sangha’s secretary, noted that their action was sparked by a clean-up campaign, where they collected over 51 tonnes of trash from the Kuntikana-Nanthoor stretch, later transported in 14 trucks to the Pachanady dumping yard. An RTI revealed that NHAI only places bins at toll plazas, deflecting broader waste responsibility to local authorities. Similarly, the railway’s RTI response referenced internal waste systems but lacked clarity on trackside waste management.
Fernandes emphasized the urgent need for more bins along highways and CCTV surveillance to deter littering.
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