Chennai: The Southern Zone of the National Green Tribunal, Chennai has directed the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) and the Chennai Corporation to inspect the country’s premier IIT-Madras campus in connection with the deaths of nearly 300 deer in the institution between 2010 and now. The huge number of deaths has been a shocking phenomenon over the years in the city but none has correlated the numbers in a string to see how such killings have taken place. The deaths have been caused as much by cars running down the animals as by the pollution of plastics and various other waste that have led to the deer ingesting them and dying, besides being bitten by stray dogs.
When a petition filed by Antony Clement Rubin of Chennai came up for hearing before Justice M.S. Nambiar, the Tribunal also directed the management of IIT-Madras to clean the campus and remove all the debris from the campus in a week. In the petition, Rubin submitted that a total of 220 deer and eight blackbucks died in two years from 2014 in the sprawling campus. He alleged that inaction on the part of IIT (M) authorities led to the decline in the number of spotted deer, blackbucks (Indian antelopes) and other animals. The petitioner sought a complete ban on non-recyclable plastics on the campus, including plastic cutlery, plastic bags, polyethylene garbage liner bags and dumping of debris in the campus. He also sought a direction to shift out of the campus cultural fests like ‘Saarang’ and ‘Shaastra’ or other such events which draw huge crowds and heavy vehicular traffic.
Earlier, a counter affidavit filed by the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest and Chief Wildlife Warden, Chennai had revealed that 291 spotted deer and blackbucks died due to dog bites and 50 deer died due to consumption of polythene bags and 50 wild animals killed by speeding vehicles since 2010. The Forest Department was aware of the impact due to anthropogenic pressure in the campus and sent a letter to the Registrar, IIT-M over the human disturbances. The Tribunal had adjourned the matter to November 7 for further hearing.
When the matter came up for hearing on Tuesday, Judicial member of the Tribunal Justice M.S. Nambiar directed senior officials from TNPCB and Chennai Corporation to inspect IIT-Madras. Any event conducted inside should control the noise levels and the use of plastic should be avoided to the maximum extent possible. The Tribunal also warned that polluters would be fines since endangered blackbucks die due to pollution. The Tribunal posted the matter to December 13 for further hearing.
