A plea has been made in the Southern Regional Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) for a direction to the TN government to strictly implement usage of LPG/CNG as fuel for autos, share-autos, government owned buses and other commercial vehicles to curb air pollution. The bench of Justice M Chockalingam, chairman and Professor R Nagendran, member, before which the application of LG Saha Devan of Thambu Chetty Street, came up on Thursday, ordered notice to the authorities concerned, returnable by February 10.
According to petitioner, it is an undisputed fact that vehicular emissions constituted an important source of air pollution in Chennai. About 60 to 70 per cent of air pollution in the city is caused by vehicles. The major source of pollutants emitted by automobiles are exhaust pipes, crank case and carburetors and fuel tanks. The emissions are carbon monozide, unburnt hydrocarbans, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur di-oxide, lead, compounds, aidehydes, benzene, suspended particulate matter and dust particles. Factors such as type of engine, quality and type of fuel used, improper maintenance of vehicles, traffic congestion, poor road conditions and out-dated engine technologies contributed to air pollution. The usage of diesel or petrol is the main reason for the air pollution. Hence, the government should be directed to strictly implement the usage of LPG/CNG by the vehicles.The air quality has greatly improved in other States, which strictly introduced the usage of LPG/CNG. The TN government has not taken any concrete steps to contain the air pollution. The LPG system recently introduced for autos, did not pick up as there was not enough LPG filling stations and shortage of supply. The air pollution was creating a hell of lot of health problems leading to respiratory diseases, cancer and tuberculosis, the petitioner contended.
‘Submit reply on memorial row’
Chennai: The Madras HC has directed the Ulaga Thamizhar Peraimaippu Trust, by its chairman P Nedumaran, to submit a comprehensive reply to the notice issued by the Vilar Panchayat allegedly for constructing the memorial in Pappa Nagar, in Thanjavur district. A division bench of Justices SK Agnihotri and KK Sasidharan gave the direction while disposing of a writ petition from the Trust seeking to set aside the SCN dated Nov 14 and consequently to restrain the government from interfering with the possession of the memorial. Advocate-General AL Somayaji submitted that the notice impugned is only a preliminary one calling upon the petitioner to show cause as to why the planning permission should not be cancelled. Even though a reference was made in the said notice to Rule 34(1) of the TN Panchayat Building Rules, the fact remains that the executive authority has only called upon the petitioner to show cause as to why the permission should not be cancelled.