The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has directed the Executive Officer of the Sholavandan Town Panchayat to ensure that wastewater generated in the public toilets to be constructed at Sholavandan is not let into the Vaigai river.
A Division Bench of Justices D. Krishnakumar and R. Vijayakumar directed the Madurai District Environmental Engineer of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) to take appropriate action against the Executive Officer of the Sholavandan Town Panchayat, if there was any violation.
The court was hearing the public interest litigation petition filed by V. Dhanasekaran of Vadipatti in Madurai district. He had sought a direction to the authorities to immediately stop the construction of the public toilets near two temples along the Vaigai river in Sholavandan and to find an alternative place to construct the public toilets.
In a report, the Madurai District Environmental Engineer submitted that an inspection was conducted at the site where the public toilets were being constructed. The main objective was to improve the environmental hygiene by preventing open defecation.
It was submitted that the construction shall be permitted subject to certain conditions. The wastewater generated in the public toilets shall be disposed of through septic tanks and treated at the sewage treatment plant of Madurai Corporation functioning at Avaniapuram.
The Sholavandan Town Panchayat shall maintain a logbook for the discharge of wastewater into the sewage treatment plant of Madurai Corporation and it shall be maintained properly for verification. The Sholavandan Town Panchayat has to ensure that there shall not be any discharge of wastewater into the Vaigai river either from the public toilets directly or through the septic tank under any circumstances.
The Executive Officer of the Sholavandan Town Panchayat gave an undertaking to the Madurai District Environmental Engineer that the conditions would be followed and that the Sholavandan Town Panchayat ensures that there will not be any discharge of wastewater into the Vaigai river from any of the toilets directly or through the septic tanks under any circumstances.
Taking note of the undertaking affidavit, the court directed the Executive Officer of the Sholavandan Town Panchayat to strictly comply with the undertaking. If there was any violation then the Madurai District Environmental Officer shall take appropriate action against the Executive Officer of the Sholavandan Town Panchayat for such violation.
Published - January 21, 2023 12:51 am IST
