CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) recently ordered the demolition of a micro-compost yard built by Kayalpattinam municipality in the intertidal zone, in violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules. The Thoothukudi collector was given a month to comply with the order, and report compliance.
As per the norms, dumping waste in the intertidal zone is a prohibited activity. The municipality has constructed the yard in 2020 within the intertidal zone to treat 500 kg of solid waste a day, at Kayalpattinam south village. The NGT bench comprising of justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati said, “The micro-compost yard is located within the CRZ area which is impermissible under the CRZ Notification, 2011 and 2019. The same has to be removed forthwith.”
Mohamed Salihu, Secretary of the mass empowerment and guidance association, Thoothukudi, submitted a petition to the NGT. This comes after he sent a representation to Tamil Nadu Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNCZMA) in 2020, highlighting the violation. While the authority directed the collector and TNPCB to take action, no steps were taken, and the illegal structure blocked the natural drainage outlet into the sea.
In their replies, the municipality commissioner claimed there was no proposal to dump any solid waste but the yard was to dispose of waste. The Thoothukudi district collector said the micro-compost yard was located in the unsurveyed poramoboke land.
The TNCZMA requested the tribunal to give direction to the Thoothukudi collector to demolish the illegal construction. The collector, also the chairman of the District Coastal Management Authority, was directed to demolish the micro-compost yard, remove the debris and restore the area to its previous state. The NGT posted the case on January 6, 2023.