The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has asked a five-member committee constituted by it to submit a factual and action taken report on the alarming levels of faecal contamination in the Perandoor and Edappally canals.
The Bench comprising Justice K. Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta issued the direction after taking suo motu notice of The Hindu report titled ‘Faecal contamination high in Perandoor, Edappally canals’ published on January 28.
The report had revealed that the total coliform count, indicating faecal contamination, had exceeded the maximum permissible limits by 160 and 96 times respectively in the canals.
Explaining that there arose a substantial question of environment that required the interference of the Tribunal to resolve the issue, the Bench appointed a joint committee comprising the District Collector or a senior officer not below the rank of Assistant Collector or a Sub Divisional Magistrate, and one senior officer each representing the Kerala State Pollution Control Board, Department of Environment, Kochi Corporation, and Greater Cochin Development Authority. The committee should inspect the area in question and submit a factual as well as action taken report to remedy the situation before March 31.
The Bench reminded the government that it had a constitutional obligation to protect the health of the people. They have to provide clean environment, which is part of Right to Life as enshrined under Article 21 of Constitution as has been expected from the State government departments and also the local bodies as mandated under Article 48 A of the Constitution of India as well, it said.
The committee has to recommend measures to rectify the issue that includes stabilisation and improvement of sewage system and treatment of septage and sewage being collected through the drains in a scientific manner. The implementing authorities were directed to come up with an independent action plan as to how they were going to solve the issue in an effective manner with long term and short term measures as allowing such menace for a longer time will have great impact on health of the people, it said.
The Bench asked the committee to ascertain the damage caused to the environment and assess the environmental compensation to restore the damage caused, including the expenses required for implementing the remedial measures, besides identifying the polluter who will have to remit the restoration charges.
