Even as several issues relating to the last year’s floods are being heard, the Madras High Court has directed the authorities concerned to upgrade the Disaster Management Plan of 2010.
When a batch of pleas filed over relating to the December floods came up for hearing on Monday before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice S.K. Kaul and Justice R. Mahadevan, it was submitted on behalf of the one of the petitioners that the disaster management plan was of “vintage 2010” and it should be upgraded “especially keeping in mind the aspect that emerged from the last year’s floods..”
Agreeing with the suggestion, the Bench gave the direction accordingly. It asked the authorities to file an affidavit of compliance to the order dated December 16 last year, which required them to ensure that no further encroachments or re-encroachments or dumping of garbage or solid waste took place in water area and sought a compliance report after two weeks. The matter was posted for hearing on August 30 and September 1.
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The petitions filed by Manuneedhi Consumer and Environmental Protection Centre and others in the High Court had raised various issues relating to floods, including the “abnormal” release of water from Chembarambakkam reservoir and the need for an inquiry into the issue by a retired judge, the reasons for the overflow of water in Nemam Eri and the need for proper maintenance of reservoirs around Chennai city among others.