MADURAI: The Madurai Bench of Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to take action against Madurai Corporation under Section 48 of Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, for polluting Kiruthumal river, and report compliance on February 12.
A special bench of justices GR Swaminathan and B Pugalendhi gave the direction on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by an advocate R Manibharathi seeking restoration of the river.
Earlier, standing counsel for the TNPCB informed the court that notices were issued to the corporation calling for action to stop pollution of the river. The government had submitted a report that the corporation is releasing sewage into the river at eight points in the city.
The water resources department (WRD) had sent a communication to the corporation commissioner in October 2025, seeking immediate action to prevent flow of sewage into the river so as to enable them to carry out desilting works effectively. A similar communication had been sent the same month to the Tahsildars of Madurai South and West seeking survey and demarcation of encroachments in the river.
During the hearing on Thursday, the corporation’s standing counsel admitted that the civic body has been discharging sewage into the river in some places.
He added that the civic body tried to address the issue by constructing an additional drainage pumping station, but the court had ordered an interim injunction against it due to an objection that the land was earmarked for a park.
Not satisfied with the response, the judges directed the TNPCB to proceed against the corporation as per Section 48 (Offences by government departments), which enables the board to punish the head of the departments which pollute water bodies.