Chennai: With a view to cater the growing needs of the population, the Madras high court has asked the Nilgiris district collector to list out the efforts made by the district administration for providing infrastructural facilities and for scientific disposal of the sewage generated everyday in Udhagamandalam.
A division bench comprising Justices N.Kirubakaran and Abdul Quddhose posed the query while hearing an appeal from the MRC relating to a show cause notice issued by the district administration calling upon it to hand over 4 acres out of 52.34 acres at Udhagamandalam.
The bench said though the show cause notice was issued by the district administration calling upon the MRC to hand over 4 acres of land out of 52.34 acres for providing infrastructural facilities, this court incidentally dealt with the other infrastructures to be provided in the district to check pollution and to arrest pollution at the source itself. Further this court taking into consideration of the fact that the infrastructure available in Ooty at present is not enough to cater the growing needs of the population asked the district collector to list out the efforts made by the administration for providing infrastructural facilities, the bench added.
The bench said when the matter was again listed on July 25, the district collector was present before the court and submitted that a proposal for setting up a sewage plant at the cost of `5 crore has been sent by the collector to the government and the same was under consideration. As the sewage generated in Ooty was being let into the lake which was a major tourist attraction, causing pollution, this court would insist the government to take immediate steps to approve the proposal so that the sewage collected was treated and the treated water was reused, the bench added.
The bench said it was also submitted by the district collector that a proposal has been sent to the government for setting up master sewage plant at Coonoor and the said file was also pending with the government. “As it is necessary for the scientific disposal of the sewage, the government has to approve the proposal in this regard. The Advocate general undertakes to get instructions regarding the aforesaid proposals”, the bench added.
The bench said it was reported in the newspapers that the eco-sensitive town was facing haphazard growth with unapproved buildings and buildings with deviations in Ooty. When the same was questioned, the district collector submitted that a buildings approval committee has been constituted under the chairmanship of the collector consisting of three departments and the file sent for approval of the said committee was pending with the government. The advocate general undertakes to get instructions as to when the said committee would be approved, the bench added.
The bench said the district collector also submitted that as per the guidelines of NGT, the dumping yards have to be closed and steps have to be taken to establish bio-mining and in this regard, a proposal has been sent to the government. The advocate general undertakes to get instructions as to when approval would be granted to establish bio-mining facility in compliance with the NGT order, the bench added.
The bench said on July 17 when the case came up for hearing, Parthasarathy, counsel for the MRC submitted that after getting approval from the management committee, 1.65 acres of land in the northern corner of the property would be surrendered to the district administration. On July 25, when the case came up for hearing, Parthasarathy submitted that the MRC was ready to hand over 1.5 acres of land to the district administration and he suggested the necessity for setting up of 'multi-level parking' so that the available space can be effectively utilized. For the suggestion, the district collector submitted that already two areas have been identified and one of the area was Rose Garden and the construction of 'multi-level parking' has already commenced, the bench added.
