MADURAI: Hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition filed against the dumping of wastes along the Madurai-Tiruchy National Highway near Othakadai in Madurai district, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Friday directed the secretary of urban and local administration and Madurai collector to file an affidavit on the steps taken by them to review the performance of local bodies on waste segregation and treatment in the district.
A bench comprising Justices MS Ramesh and AD Maria Clete observed that as per Rule 12 of the Solid Waste Management Rules, 2015, the district collector, in coordination with the secretary of urban development, should facilitate allocation of suitable land for setting up solid waste processing and disposal facilities to local authorities in the district. The collector is also duty bound to periodically review the performance of the local bodies on waste segregation, processing, treatment and disposal and take corrective measures wherever necessary by consulting with the secretary, the judges pointed out.
However, the photographs submitted by the petitioner, M Saravanan, reveal that the collector has not adhered to the above rules, the judges noted, and issued the above direction. In his petition, Saravanan stated that the wastes from Othakadai, Puthuthamaraipatti, Karuppayurani and Ulaganeri panchayats were being dumped along the sides of the national highways between Chittampatti toll gate to Karuppayurani toll gate, turning the land into an illegal dump yard. He requested the court to stop the dumping of wastes and direct all local bodies in the state to strictly comply with the Solid Waste Management Rules. The case was adjourned to January 3, 2025.