The National Green Tribunal, Southern Bench, has taken suo motu cognisance of a news report in The Hindu about the stacking of carcasses in Madras Veterinary College, Vepery, which resulted in students of a nearby school falling ill.
The Tribunal issued notices to authorities, including the Chennai Corporation commissioner, asking for their explanation. The Tribunal took up the issue after a report (‘School children deal with foul odour’) was published in The Hindu on November 23.
The NGT Bench, comprising judicial member Justice M. Chockalingam and expert member, Prof. R. Nagendran, said, “The Tribunal feels it fit to be taken as suo motu cognisance.”
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Apart from issuing notice to the Corporation commissioner, the Bench directed the dean of Madras Veterinary College, the member secretary of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and the principal of Baynes Memorial Baptist Church School to file their explanations on December 3.
The news report also said the stench emanated from the carcasses of dogs that were sent to the college for post-mortem. Some students also suffered bouts of vomiting.