The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has sought response from authorities after a public interest litigation petition alleged that untreated liquid medical waste from Government Rajaji Hospital was being discharged into the Vaigai.
A Division Bench of Justices G. R. Swaminathan and B. Pugalendhi ordered notice to the authorities on the petition filed by activist Vaigai Rajan of Madurai.
The petitioner sought a direction to the authorities to prevent the discharge of the medical waste into the Vaigai river, especially at Alwarpuram.
He said that the GRH generates large amounts of medical waste on a daily basis. The medical waste was directly discharged into the Vaigai river near Alwarpuram, without treating the waste, he alleged.
He also alleged that Madurai Corporation was letting out untreated sewage from the pumping station on the GRH campus into Vaigai river for years.
Even though the Sewage Treatment Plant was set up on the GRH premises, it has not been in proper use and untreated liquid medical waste from the hospital was getting discharged into the Vaigai river through Madurai Corporation pipeline.
This was harmful. The water was unfit for consumption and the groundwater could turn toxic, the petitioner said.
Mr. Rajan pointed out that the Centre for Urban Water Resources (CURE) of DHAN Foundation published an article in 2021 on “Water Watch Quality Matters - Urban Vaigai under Isolation”, wherein it suggested that restricting sewage and solid waste discharge into river is the only way to safeguard the Vaigai river.
The petitioner said that on inquiry he found out that the sewage treatment plant on the GRH premises has not been working due to inadequate power supply. It requires a separate electricity connection which costs up to ₹ 33 lakh for its deposit. The sewage treatment plant near Alwarpuram is not working to its fullest capacity. It is all set to be demolished as it comes in the way of the proposed Goripalayam flyover. The discharge of sewage into the Vaigai river will increase, he said.
Mr. Rajan said that he had made a representation to the authorities to prevent the discharge of sewage into the Vaigai river. However, no action has been taken so far, he said and sought a direction to the authorities to stop the discharge of medical waste into the Vaigai river. The court adjourned the hearing in the case till the first week of June.
