A fisherman from Ramanathapuram district has moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Monday seeking a direction to the Centre and State to restrain private parties from dumping waste soil and hazardous chemical waste into the Palk Bay. He said that dumping of waste into the bay had taken a toll on marine life.
The petitioner, G. Joseph, Secretary for Ramnad District Fish Workers Trade Union, said that waste soil and hazardous chemical waste were being dumped into the bay for constructing a bridge for the Uppur thermal power plant. The bridge was being constructed to draw sea water that was to be used as a coolant.
He said that the constriction of the bridge which extends from Uppur to Thondi in Ramanathapuram district had an impact on marine life. The Palk Bay was getting exposed to pollution which was a threat to the marine environment. Therefore, the private contractors must be restrained from dumping waste into the sea, he said.
Further, he sought a direction to the Ramanathapuram Collector to refrain from granting permission to quarrying sand in the region. A Division Bench of Justices M. Sathyanarayanan and P. Rajamanickam ordered notice to the Centre and the State and directed a status report be filed in the case.
