Chennai: In an unexpected order, the southern bench of National Green Tribunal on Friday, based on the report by Public Works Department, directed the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) to demolish the culvert constructed across the Buckingham canal at Ennore.
The pipeline culvert is part of the North Chennai Thermal Power Station (NCTPS) expansion, which is constructed after closing the canal with bunds, thus obstructing the water flow.
The petitioner, who is a fisherman at Thalan kuppam of Ennore, reacted to the environmental violation, after witnessing dreadful experiences during floods last year. Narrating the tales of grief to DC, R. Ravimaran, the petitioner said, “How would the water flow if the canal is blocked with bunds? The move will cause serious flooding in the locality.”
It is the audacity of the NCTPS to construct a pipeline culvert, despite the court staying the dumping of fly ash at the canal few months ago. “We took legal steps to remove fly ash dumped by NCTPS. Now, they indulged in another violation: construction of culvert on Kamarajar Port Main Road,” said Ravimaran, adding the canal is also polluted with dredging sand dumped by Kamarajar Port Ltd.
