MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court directed the Gudalur municipality of Theni district to refrain from constructing a dump yard adjacent to a reserved forest and wildlife sanctuary in the region, until they obtain consent from the competent authority.
A division bench of Acting Chief Justice D Krishnakumar and Justice R Vijayakumar was hearing a petition filed by one M Ramar seeking to quash a G.O. passed by the revenue department secretary and forbear the authorities from allocating the land in Gudalur village to set up the dump yard adjacent to a reserve forest in the municipality.
According to the petitioner's counsel, the property belongs to the forest department and the municipality has no rights to construct a dump yard in the region. In an earlier hearing, the court had ordered an interim stay on the construction of the dump yard in the village.
In the counter affidavit, wildlife warden of Megamalai East Division submitted that the proposed dump yard is only 500 metre away from the wildlife sanctuary and will cause harm to the animals, including elephants and tigers. The dumping of garbage will spoil the environment of the sanctuary, which could directly impact habitation and free movement of wild animals, the official submitted.
As the forest department filed a specific objection against the establishment of the dump yard, the court directed the municipality not to go ahead with the construction until and unless they obtain consent from the competent authority.