The Madras High Court Bench here on Monday demonstrated the severity of mosquito menace in the State to the government counsel by zapping down scores of mosquitoes with an electric racquet right on the judges’ dais in the centrally air-conditioned Court Hall No.1.
The incident took place during the course of court proceedings presided over by a Division Bench of Justices A. Selvam and P. Kalaiyarasan.
Just minutes after the Division Bench heard arguments on a public interest litigation petition seeking a direction to the State to control breeding of mosquitoes and adjourned the case after expressing its displeasure over the way the public issue was dealt with by government officials, a court employee went up to the dais and waved the electric racquet near the judges only to hear loud crackling sound of mosquitoes being zapped.
“Did you hear it, Sir? If this is the state of affairs in the High Court, what would be the plight of the common man,” Mr. Justice Selvam asked Additional Government Pleader D. Muruganantham.
Earlier, during the hearing on the PIL petition, Additional Advocate General B. Pugalendhi conceded that he too was a victim of mosquito menace but contended that it would not be possible to eradicate them totally.
Disagreeing with him, the judge asked how western countries could become free of mosquitoes. “I am unable to sit here comfortably. I have to constantly shake my legs to keep the mosquitoes away. The situation is the same in the bungalow. Your people have stopped using manual mosquito sprayers. Only fogging is done outside the bungalows, that too for hardly two minutes and it leads the mosquitoes straight into the bungalows,” he said.
The judge doubted whether fogging operations were being done regularly in all the localities. “These are all public issues. You must attended to them promptly,” the judge said. Earlier, he expressed his displeasure over the Health Secretary failing to file a report, as directed by the court on January 3, on the steps taken by the State to control the mosquito menace.
Secretary warned
Later, the Division Bench adjourned the hearing to Tuesday and warned the Health Secretary of suo motu contempt of court proceedings if he did not file the report by then.
