Govt. concentrating more on liquor than water, says court
Legal Correspondent
CHENNAI, MAY 03, 2019 00:00 IST
In a stinging verdict aimed at the failure of the State to protect wetlands, the Madras High Court has criticised the government for concentrating only on “artificial water” [liquor] than natural water. It ordered that the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority (TNSWA) chaired by the Minister for Forests should review the status of wetlands every month.
Justices M. Venugopal and S. Vaidyanathan ordered that the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority conduct periodic surprise inspections and field surveys besides creating boundary marks with respect to all wetlands in the State.
Monthly report
A report of such inspections should be submitted to the Chief Secretary every month and a compilation should be filed in court once in three months, they added.
The orders were passed on a public interest litigation petition filed against construction of government buildings on wetlands close to the Buckingham canal. Quoting Tamil poet Avvaiyar’s poem on a ruler’s duty to conserve water, the judges said the present rules of the State had misunderstood the poem and were concentrating only on production of artificial water.
“Likewise, the politicians, instead of taking steps to raise the standard of living of subjects, are enriching themselves and ensuring that their wards also become rich,” the judges indicted.
The judges went on to direct the TNSWA to take coercive steps such as disconnecting electricity and water supply to all those who had encroached upon wet lands.
Fixed responsibility
The TNSWA was also directed to ensure that no further encroachment or illegal construction was made on wetlands.
“This court fixes the responsibility on the Chief Secretary and Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority for survey and removal of encroachments on the wetlands and any negligence/lethargic attitude noticed shall be viewed seriously,” the judges warned.
“The government should review the works prior to three months of the retirement of each official in the team and ensure that they have discharged their works satisfactorily, failing which the officials may be placed under suspension and dismissed from service for their misconduct,” the Bench said.
Legal Correspondent
CHENNAI, MAY 03, 2019 00:00 IST
In a stinging verdict aimed at the failure of the State to protect wetlands, the Madras High Court has criticised the government for concentrating only on “artificial water” [liquor] than natural water. It ordered that the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority (TNSWA) chaired by the Minister for Forests should review the status of wetlands every month.
Justices M. Venugopal and S. Vaidyanathan ordered that the Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority conduct periodic surprise inspections and field surveys besides creating boundary marks with respect to all wetlands in the State.
Monthly report
A report of such inspections should be submitted to the Chief Secretary every month and a compilation should be filed in court once in three months, they added.
The orders were passed on a public interest litigation petition filed against construction of government buildings on wetlands close to the Buckingham canal. Quoting Tamil poet Avvaiyar’s poem on a ruler’s duty to conserve water, the judges said the present rules of the State had misunderstood the poem and were concentrating only on production of artificial water.
“Likewise, the politicians, instead of taking steps to raise the standard of living of subjects, are enriching themselves and ensuring that their wards also become rich,” the judges indicted.
The judges went on to direct the TNSWA to take coercive steps such as disconnecting electricity and water supply to all those who had encroached upon wet lands.
Fixed responsibility
The TNSWA was also directed to ensure that no further encroachment or illegal construction was made on wetlands.
“This court fixes the responsibility on the Chief Secretary and Tamil Nadu State Wetland Authority for survey and removal of encroachments on the wetlands and any negligence/lethargic attitude noticed shall be viewed seriously,” the judges warned.
“The government should review the works prior to three months of the retirement of each official in the team and ensure that they have discharged their works satisfactorily, failing which the officials may be placed under suspension and dismissed from service for their misconduct,” the Bench said.
No comments:
Post a Comment