CHENNAI: A writ plea was made in the Madras High Court for a direction to the TN Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to inspect the Koodankulam Power Plant in Tirunelveli district with experts and issue consent order to operate the plant only after the project sirector complied with all mandatory requirements as contemplated in the PCB’s order dated February 25, 2004.
A vacation bench comprising Justices K Venkataraman and CS Karnan, before which the public interest writ petition from the Fishermen Care, represented by its president LTA Peter Rayan of Old Pallavaram came up for hearing on Wednesday, posted the matter after summer vacation.
According to petitioner, the TNPCB had stipulated 15 special and 13 general conditions under Sec 25 of the Water Prevention and Control of Pollution Act and 10 special conditions and 10 general conditions under sec 21 of the Air Prevention and Control of Pollution Act.
It had also stipulated that the plant should make a request for grant of consent to commission at least 60 days before the commissioning of the trial production. In response to a query from the petitioner under the Right to Information Act, it was stated that the PCB had not granted the consent order to operate the project. It also stated that the PCB authorities had not made any personal inspection or verified safety measures.