Vinayaka Chaturthi: TANGEDCO ordered to report on power thefts

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Indira Banerjee and Justice M Sundar, before whom a PIL filed by social activist Traffic Ramaswamy in this regard came up on Friday, directed TANGEDCO’s counsel to file the status report by August 23 and posted the matter for further hearing on that date.

Ramaswamy in his plea had submitted that apart from the encroachments made by the organisers at various places in the state, he said most of the idols were made of Plaster of Paris, which on being immersed in water bodies and sea had cause large scale pollution.

He further noted that the idols are mostly installed in the middle of the road posing a severe hazard to free flow of traffic besides putting pedestrians to severe hardships.

Along with this, the organisers also resort to installing giant cone size speakers causing severe noise pollution.

Stating that officials of various departments such as police, health, power and pollution control fail to take any action against such violators and that the process of obtaining no objection certificate never transpires, Ramaswamy sought the court to direct the authorities to act on his representation and take steps to curb energy theft and the environmental pollution caused during Vinayaka Chaturthi.