The Karnataka government has written to the Kerala State Pollution Control Board seeking immediate intervention to stop the illegal transportation and dumping of waste across the state border, as concerns mount over environmental hazards.

As per reports, six trucks carrying medical waste, animal carcasses, and plastic waste from Kerala were intercepted at the Bandipur Moolehole check post, leading to the arrest of seven individuals. The seizure was made following a tip-off from Chamarajanagar District Officer P Umashankar to the Gundalpet police.

Reports indicate that trucks from Kerala have been surreptitiously transporting and disposing of waste across several regions in Karnataka including the Bandipur forest area, HD Kota, Chamarajnagar, Nanjangud, Mysuru, Mandya, and Kotak. Officials said such illegal dumping poses significant environmental and health risks, particularly in forest areas and urban peripheries. Both government officials and social activists in Karnataka have since raised objections to this practice.

The issue first gained significant attention in January 2019, when Mysuru City Corporation officials caught trucks from Kerala dumping waste within city limits. This has prompted authorities in the state to increase surveillance and implement stricter checking procedures at border crossings.

In March 2023, TNM had done a ground investigation on how villages in Tamil Nadu, bordering Kerala, have become dump yards of almost every kind of waste, often unsegregated, from Kerala. You can read the stories here:

Ground report: Stealth dumping of Kerala waste in Tamil Nadu continues unabated

Ground report: Tenkasi’s troubles due to illegal waste dumping from Kerala