Chennai: The Madras high court Wednesday ordered notice to the TN government on a Public Interest Litigation, which sought a direction to the State government to constitute a high powered committee, headed by a retired judge of the Supreme Court or the High Court and consisting of government officials, technical personnel, senior advocates, scientists and environmentalists to study the various events which led to the flooding in Chennai. A divsion bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana also ordered notice to Chennai Corporation and four others and posted to February 9, 2016, further hearing of the case.
In his PIL, businessman Rajiv Rai of Egmore has also prayed for a direction to the committee to lay down a time bound action plan and implement the same and finally prepare an action taken report and submit the same to the HC.
According to petitioner, it was the collusion of vested interests, lack of political will and foresight and maybe lack of resources that prevented the government from acting in a manner where the citizens were not put to hardship in the manner experienced by them from the night of December 1 last. The PIL was to ensure that the authorities take all necessary and sufficient steps to be prepared for any recurrence of such horrific tragedies.
The citizens of Chennai and eminent persons need to be involved in the decision making process as far as the flooding issues in Chennai were concerned and this may include departments such as the office of the Chief Secretary, PWD, CMDA, CMWSSB and Chennai Corporation, he added.
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