Senior Knocks NGT door to Stop Bio-gas Plant in Pallavaram

CHENNAI:  A 75-year-old resident of Pallavaram near Chennai moved the Southern Bench of National Green Tribunal on Monday to stop the commissioning of a bio-gas plant in the Potheri lake-bed.

Admitting the application, the Bench of Justice M Chockalingam and expert member P S Rao directed notice to Pallavaram Municipality and the CMDA.

The applicant N Krishnan of Zameen Royapettah said because of the encroachments, Potheri lake had shrunk to five acres from nine acres. The waterbody now appears like a sewage drain.

The Pallavaram municipality had encroached upon the southern portion of the lake and erected a sand-bed in the middle of the lake in order to construct a building for the methane gas plant.

This was in violation of a Revenue Department Government Order, which prohibited construction in the water-bodies, he added.

The petitioner claimed  he has sent a representation to authorities to take action to remove encroachments and stop construction in the lake-bed.

But, as the authorities failed to take action, Krishnan moved the Madras High Court which, in its order in January last, directed the Revenue authority to dispose his petition of according to the GO.

“Despite having knowledge of the order, the Commissioner of Pallavaram municipality proceeded with the illegal construction of the building,” Krishnan alleged and moved a petition in the Munsif court at Alandur to restrain the Municipality from any construction.

Even as the case was pending, the municipality was planning to open the bio-gas plant in the building, he alleged.

Directing notice, the tribunal posted the matter to August 4 for further hearing.

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