MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday sought response from the district administration on a petition seeking to shift a dump yard away from the Government Law College in Theni district. A division bench of Justices R Subramanian and L Victoria Gowri was hearing a petition filed by advocate S Mahendran of Theni district.
The petitioner submitted that the municipality had been insensitively dumping and burning garbage in a dumpyard near the law college. Despite multiple representations and protests, the issue has not been addressed, posing health risks to other educational institutions in the vicinity as well, he said.
In the petition, Mahendran stated that he had filed an RTI application questioning the impact of garbage on health and groundwater quality. The responses confirmed that the groundwater was unfit for use and highlighted health hazards, especially for the women staying in the hostel. Instances of respiratory distress caused by smoke inhalation were reported, emphasising the need to address the dumpyard's detrimental effects.
Citing the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016, which mandates proper waste management practices, the petitioner stressed the health risks posed by the dumpyard to the residents, students and hospital patients. The emission of noxious gases and the attraction of disease vectors underscore the urgency of relocating the dump yard, he added.