CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the State government to file a detailed report on whether solid waste management facilities have been set up across all Corporations, Municipalities, and Panchayats in the state.
The court issued the direction during the hearing of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by one Rajendran of Anthiyur in Erode district, seeking a ban on the dumping of garbage in the area.
The case came up for hearing before a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice MM Shrivastava and Justice G Arul Murugan.
During the hearing, the judges observed that under the Solid Waste Management Rules, proper facilities must be set up for handling garbage.
Owing to the failure to establish such facilities, the waste has been dumped in open spaces, posing a serious threat to the environment and public health.
In this backdrop, the Bench directed the Principal Secretaries of the Municipal Administration and Rural Development Departments to submit a detailed report on whether solid waste management facilities have been established in Municipal Corporations, Municipalities, and Panchayats in Tamil Nadu, and a list of the civic bodies where facilities have not been established.
The matter was adjourned to February 23 for further hearing.