The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court has expressed shock over the pollution found even at the source of the Thamirabarani River at Agasthiyar Falls. On 9 December 2024, the court directed officials to conduct a thorough inspection and file a report on the causes of the pollution. Additionally, the court requested an action plan to address and prevent further contamination of the river.
The court’s directions were given to the deputy director of forests at the Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve, the joint chief environmental engineer of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB), and the collector of Tirunelveli. A special bench consisting of Justices GR Swaminathan and B Pugalendhi also instructed Additional Advocate General Veera Kathiravan to seek information from the state government on whether there are plans to approach the Ministry of Jal Shakti for financial assistance in rejuvenating the Thamirabarani.
The court’s order came in response to a series of petitions, including a contempt petition filed by S Kamaraj (also known as Muthalakurichi Kamaraj), who alleged that sewage water was being discharged into the river. The main petition, disposed of in March 2024, had already led to a series of directions issued to various authorities. The court has been periodically reviewing the case to ensure compliance.
In the previous hearing, the judges had mentioned the findings of their inspection of the river on 10 November 2024 and sought updates from the Tirunelveli collector and the corporation commissioner on funds allocated and spent on the conservation of the Thamirabarani. The collector reported that, aside from ₹271 crores received under the AMRUT Scheme for an underground drainage system and smaller sums of ₹45 lakhs and ₹40 lakh allocated for the removal of invasive seemai karuvelam trees and choke pits, respectively, no specific funds had been earmarked for the river’s restoration. The Tirunelveli corporation commissioner confirmed this, adding that a proposal for a ₹40 crore allocation for the river’s restoration is under consideration as part of the Pollution Abatement and Riverfront Development Project.
The bench expressed concern over the lack of dedicated funding for the river’s restoration and instructed the AAG to determine whether the state plans to seek financial support from the Ministry of Jal Shakti for the river’s rejuvenation.
(With inputs from The New Indian Express)
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