Plea to prevent dumping of waste in forest area

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Tuesday directed Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to conduct an inspection and file a report after a public interest litigation petition complained about dumping of waste in the forest at Prakasapuram in Kodaikanal.

A Division Bench of Justices N. Sathish Kumar and M. Jothiraman was hearing the petition filed by M. Karan of Sivaganga district. The petitioner complained that a large-scale dumping and accumulation of solid wastes was overflowing into the pristine shola forest at Prakasapuram.

Kodaikanal Municipality grossly violated the duties and responsibilities as provided under Rule 15 of the Solid Waste Management Rules. There was no land allocated for setting up solid waste processing and treatment facilities as per Rule 19 of the Rules, he said.