CHENNAI: The Coimbatore district collector on Thursday informed a special bench of Madras High Court dealing with forest offence related matters that none of the closed brick kilns in the district was allowed to resume operations.The submission was made before the bench of Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy when the petitions relating to illegal operation of brick kilns at Thadagam valley in Coimbatore district came up for hearing.
“No brick kilns has started operating or functioning but complaints have been received that a few kiln owners started transporting already manufacturing bricks based on the order of the commissioner of geology and mining after paying the first installment of penalty. Subsequent to the orders of the court, the RDO and Tahsildar of Coimbatore North and the Police Inspector of Thadagam were instructed to take action prevent fresh manufacturing or transportation of already manufactured bricks from the kilns,” said a status report filed through Additional Advocate General (AAG) J Ravindran stated.The matter related to resumption of operations of 177 brick kilns that were closed due to illegalities.
During the last hearing, the petitioners informed the court that certain kilns resumed operations following an order passed by the commissioner of geology and mining by paying part of a fine amount.The bench, then, stayed operation of the order of the commissioner and directed him to file a report on the issue.On Thursday, when the AAG pointed out that the southern bench of national green tribunal (NGT) too is seized of the same matter, the bench allowed the NGT to further proceed and dispose; and until then the stay would continue. The bench rejected the plea made by the counsels for the kiln owners for allowing them to transport already manufactured bricks.