National Green Tribunal cracks whip on waste burning at Talcher vet hospital
Debaranjan Samal
Associate editor,Odishabarta
Angul:- Taking serious note of allegations of open burning of plastic, biomedical and other hazardous waste inside a government veterinary hospital campus in Odisha’s pollution-hit Talcher, the Eastern Zone Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has ordered a joint probe and sought a factual report within six weeks.
The matter reached the green court through an original application filed by Talcher-based RTI activist Deba Prasad Sahoo, who alleged that hospital staff had been routinely setting fire to mixed waste — including plastic, expired veterinary medicines, biomedical refuse, office waste and dry leaves — inside the Government Veterinary Hospital premises for several months.
The petition claimed that the practice released toxic fumes and hazardous air pollutants into the atmosphere, compounding Talcher’s already alarming air quality situation.
AQI above 300, says plea;
The applicant told the tribunal that Talcher, a major coal mining and thermal power hub, is categorised as a critically polluted area and that during winter 2025 its Air Quality Index (AQI) frequently crossed 300 — a level considered “very poor” and potentially harmful to health.
He further alleged that repeated complaints to the animal husbandry department and the Odisha State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) failed to yield effective preventive action.
Multiple environmental laws cited;
The plea alleged violations of key environmental statutes, including the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, besides the Solid Waste, Plastic Waste and Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016.
After hearing the applicant via video conferencing, the bench comprising Justice Sheo Kumar Singh (Judicial Member) and Ishwar Singh (Expert Member) observed that the matter raised a “substantial environmental issue” requiring verification.
Joint committee formed;
The tribunal directed constitution of a joint inspection committee with representatives from the District Magistrate & Collector, Angul, and the SPCB. The SPCB has been designated as the nodal agency for coordination.
The panel has been asked to conduct a site inspection of the veterinary hospital and submit a factual and action-taken report within six weeks. Notices have also been issued to the respondents, directing them to file replies within the stipulated time.
The case is expected to come up for further hearing after submission of the committee’s report.
