Chennai, Dec 13 (PTI) The southern bench of the NationalGreen Tribunal (NGT) today directed the IIT-Madras to protectthe endangered species like blackbuck in its campus.
Resuming hearing on a petition by animal welfare activistAntony Clement Rubin, Judicial Member Justice M S Nambiar said"no damage or injury shall be caused to any of the endangeredspecies".
"All the endangered species have to be protected,"Justice Nambiar said in his direction.
Also, animals, including those found in the Schedule tothe Wild Life Protection Act, should be protected in thecampus, he said.
Solid waste, including plastic in the Indian Institute ofTechnology campus, is injurious to deer and blackbucks and italso pollutes the environment and necessary action should betaken to halt this, Rubin, also an honorary animal welfareofficer (HAWO) with the Animal Welfare Board of India, said inhis plea.
The NGT had last month directed the IIT-Madras to removeall solid waste dumped or scattered in and around the campus.
Since blackbuck is an endangered species, if any injuryor death was caused to it due to IIT's inaction, the "polluterpays" principles would be invoked against it, the greentribunal had said.
The tribunal had last month also directed the Tamil NaduPollution Control Board (TNPCB) to depute a senior officer toinspect the campus and submit a status report on aspects,including the disposal of solid waste.
The TNPCB filed its report today, referring to itsinspection of the IIT-Madras campus on December 1.
"The IIT-Madras is maintaining records on the collectionand disposal of bio-degradable and non-biodegrable municipalsolid waste generated in the premises," the TNPCB said.
It was noticed that no plastic waste was dumped inKrishna Gate, Velachery Gate and STP area, the Board said.
In its previous report, the Board had flagged plasticwaste in these locations in the campus.
The report said IIT-Madras has applied for consent (CTE-Consent to Establish) of the Board for the "additionalbuilding constructed or under-construction after the year2006".
The Forest Department submitted in November that due tothe presence of solid waste, stray dogs enter the campus andattack deer and blackbucks, causing fatal injuries to them. Itsought directions for removal of all solid waste.
The IIT-Madras submitted that it had already removed thesolid waste and pointed out that some solid waste were throwninto the campus by neighbours and a complaint was filed withthe civic authorities in this respect.
The IIT-Madras in May this year, in an RTI reply toRubin, said 220 deer and eight blackbucks died between 2014-16in its campus and the petitioner later moved the tribunal.
The NGT's southern bench posted the matter for furtherhearing to January 24 next year. PTI VGN APRKJ.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.