CHENNAI/COIMBATORE: The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco), Coimbatore region started disconnecting power supply to unauthorised brick kilns on elephant corridors in Coimbatore district after a special bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday issued the power utility a 24-hour ultimatum to do so.
Tangedco chief engineer (Coimbatore region) RK Vinothan confirmed the process had started. Earlier, the bench, comprising Justices N Sathish Kumar and D Bharatha Chakravarthy, warned of initiating contempt of court proceedings against the Tangedco chairperson if the power utility failed to comply with the orders.
Tangedco was told to file a compliance report on Monday. The bench, which deals with forest-related matters, was hearing petitions relating to the protection of elephant corridors and the declaration of western ghats as a protected area.
The Tangedco counsel had submitted a report stating that 44 unauthorised brick kilns had been found, of which 32 had been sealed and notice issued to the rest. However, this was contradicted by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board’s (TNPCB) report which listed 118 unauthorised brick kilns in the elephant corridors.
The judges asked Tangedco how could it say only 44 brick kilns were found when the TNPCB report spoke of about 118 kilns and told the power utility not to encourage illegalities. When the petitioners informed the bench that certain unauthorised brick kilns located at Thadagam were operating at night, the bench directed the authorities to disconnect the power supply to such kilns.
The bench granted the concerned authorities two months to level the pits formed after quarrying sand for the kilns.
Meanwhile, S Ganesh, one of the petitioners, said Tangedco had delayed the disconnection of power supply to the brick kilns despite repeated reminders from the HC. Officials told TNIE that Tangedco has disconnected power to 32 out of 44 illegal brick kilns in the utility’s Coimbatore North region.