National Green Tribunal
News Item Titled "Activists Worried ... vs Department Of Rural Development And ... on 4 February, 2025
Item No.07:
BEFORE THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL
SOUTHERN ZONE, CHENNAI
[Through Physical Hearing (Hybrid Option)]
Original Application No.139 of 2024 (SZ)
IN THE MATTER OF:
Tribunal on its own motion SUO MOTU
based on the News Item in The Hindu,
Chennai edition, Newspaper dt: 28.04.2024,
under the caption, "Activists worried over
garbage dumped on Kodaikanal ghat road".
And
Department of Rural Development & Panchayat Raj,
Through its Principal Secretary,
Chennai and Ors.
...Respondent(s)
Date of hearing: 04.02.2025.
CORAM:
HON'BLE Smt. JUSTICE PUSHPA SATHYANARAYANA, JUDICIAL MEMBER
HON'BLE Dr. ARUN KUMAR VERMA, EXPERT MEMBER
For Applicant(s): Suo Motu.
For Respondent(s): Dr. D. Shanmuganathan for R1, R2, R4 & R5.
Mr. S. Sai Sathya Jith for R3.
ORDER
1. The earlier report submitted by the District Collector indicates that only 0.5 acres of land in Survey No. Page 1 of 2 5/2A has been designated as the municipal solid waste dumpsite for Adukkam Panchayat.
2. Admittedly, the unsegregated waste from the Perumal Malai hamlet is dumped inside the above said premises and the local body was involved in the segregation and cleaning up of the waste in the above-referred site.
3. Let the Block Development Officer (BDO) - Kodaikanal and the District Collector - Dindigul address the source segregation and manage the waste generated during the peak seasons, as the above-referred 0.5 Acres of land is insufficient.
4. Let a detailed report be filed by the District Collector in this regard. The report should also include the particulars of the total population of Kodaikanal Hills, the floating population during peak seasons, and the proposed measures for waste management, particularly in preventing plastics from reaching landfills or water bodies.
5. Post the matter on 19.03.2025.
Sd/-
Smt. Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana, JM Sd/-
Dr. Arun Kumar Verma, EM O.A. No.139/2024(SZ) 04th February, 2025. Mn.
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