The Madras High Court on Monday came down heavily on widespread pollution in Tamil Nadu and sought responses from the Centre and the State government on a public interest litigation petition that sought a direction to address air and water pollution issues plaguing slums in all the city corporations, including Chennai.
The first Division Bench of Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice A. Selvam ordered notices, returnable in two weeks, on the petition filed by the Sriperumbudur-based Global Warming Environment Protection Society represented by its president Swami Govinda Ramanuja Dasa, who appeared in person.
In his affidavit, the petitioner said unhygienic conditions prevailing in slums was a matter of concern. Most of them were situated close to river courses that had become a source of diseases due to large-scale dumping of garbage and letting out of sewage. It was the duty of the government to keep those localities clean.
Objections raised
Opposing his plea, Government Pleader T.N. Rajagopalan said the petitioner had not submitted proof for having sent representations to the government officials concerned before approaching the court. He pointed out that the representation enclosed in the case bundle appeared to be a replica of the affidavit filed in support of the PIL petition.
Not agreeing with such a submission, the Chief Justice said the government should not stand on technicalities on such issues. Mr. Justice Selvam wondered why the government should expect a representation from a public interest litigant when it was duty-bound to keep all localities clean and hygienic.
“Is it not your primordial duty to protect citizens from all kinds of pollution? You please tell us where there is no pollution in Tamil Nadu? People suffer from lung cancer due to air pollution. Is it not the duty of the State government to take effective steps to protect the citizens?” the judge asked, before deciding to order notices to the respondents.
