Address uncovered manholes around Madras HC campus, Court tells GCC & CMWSSB

Chennai: The Madras High Court has directed the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) and Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) to address the uncovered and damaged manholes that lie around the boundaries of the Madras High Court.

Heading the first division bench by sitting with Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy, Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari passed the direction on closing a contempt petition filed by V Tamizhanban in 2018. The petitioner sought direction to take action against the GCC and CMWSSB for not adhering to the HC order dated 31.07.2018 directing the respondents to address the uncovered manholes in the city.

“While closing the contempt petition, we expect from the respondents that if any manhole still remains uncovered and unnoticed by the court or by the petitioner or the manhole cover is damaged, they would immediately address it, so as to avoid any type of incident that had occurred in the past due to uncovered or damaged manholes,” the bench ruled.

J Ravindran, Additional Advocate General (AAG) submitted that all actions have been taken to prevent the use of boundary walls of HC from being used for nature calls.

“Flowerpots have been placed to beautify the area to see that it is maintained and kept clean. A decision has been taken to cover all the manholes if they remain uncovered,” the AAG submitted.

Appreciating the action taken by the respondents, the judges directed them that if a temporary toilet is required to be placed for the use of small shopkeepers opposite HC premises, the respondents may find out suitable place so that the arrangement of the temporary toilet to the shop keepers is also provided nearby their place of work.

When the matter was lastly taken by the bench on March 22, the judges expressed their dissatisfaction stating that the respondents have not taken steps to stop the usage of the area near the boundaries of the HC for urination or toilet purpose.

On September 29. 2021, the GCC and CMWSSB informed the HC that about 11,994 manholes have been identified in Chennai city. Of them, 5193 were rectified on that date and the remaining will be rectified within October 2021.