CHENNAI: Deploring the practice of local people raising objections to new projects, the Madras High Court has rejected a plea to stall construction of a compost yard in a portion of a public park in TNHB Phase-VIII, New ASTC-HUDCO in Hosur.
“Whenever a site is identified, the people will raise objections and in that process, good efforts to clear garbage are being stalled,” Justice S Vaidyanathan observed recently.
The judge was disposing of a batch of writ petitions from Janakar and two others praying for a direction to the Hosur Municipal Commissioner not to construct the compost yard in the park.
The petitioners feared that the yard would pollute the area and the nearby lake. Moreover, the park, established for public purpose on the government land, could not be allowed for any encroachment, they contended.
Pointing out that wherever a site was identified for some project, immediately the local people raised objections and resorted to a strike, the judge said the municipality was making all efforts to prevent the outbreak of diseases from garbage dumping.
It is also stated in the counter that anti-dengue drive is being conducted and fogging operations are periodically undertaken. Without co-operation of the residents in dumping garbage only at the place earmarked, it will be difficult for the municipality to go about waste management, the judge said, adding that the yard construction was intended to prevent garbage from being strewn all over.
The counter has also said that as admitted by the petitioners, the land where construction activity is in progress is classified as ‘vari poromboke’ and the government is the paramount title-holder of the land. Even before the commencement of construction, the petitioners cannot say that a massive building is being constructed without knowing what is actually being constructed.
The construction activity is to benefit the public at large where a manure compost yard is coming up, which would, in fact, benefit the residents of the locality to get the garbage segregated and processed scientifically.
To allay the fears of petitioners, the judge also directed the municipality to ensure that the yard is cleaned twice a day and fogging of the zone also done, more particularly during sunset to avoid mosquito breeding.