At a time when the country is trying to address problems of hazardous waste landing at ports, unsafe ship-breaking and contamination of ground water, the status of the apex committee set up by the Supreme Court to look into these matters has come into question.

G Thyagarajan, the chairman of the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee (SCMC) on hazardous waste, has written to the court asking to be “relieved” of his position. He has submitted a “final report’’ of the work done by his committee in the last three years and sought the committee be folded up.

The problem, however, is that two in the 11-member committee do not think that their work is over and have refused to sign the “comprehensive final report’’. The say that that they are continuing to function as SCMC as nobody but the court has the right to disband the group.

The SCMC was formed on October 14, 2003 as part of the Supreme Court’s landmark order which laid down detailed directions on management of hazardous waste. The committee was to act as eyes and ears of the court and ensure strict compliance.

After three years, the chairman felt that the work assigned to it is over. “The three-year period spent by it for monitoring compliance of the (SC’s) direction is adequate and long enough,’’ says the voluminous two-part final report. “Monitoring of compliance is a continuous activity and responsibility of the state Boards, hence there is no need for the committee to continue operating,’’ Thyagarajan told The Indian Express.

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