Madras High Court Directs Formation of Expert Body to Suggest Checks and Balances to prevent the Tamil Nadu Waterbodies from Turning Poisonous

The Madaras High Court on Tuesday addressed the glaring problem of pollution in the Tamil Nadu water bodies. The matter pertains to the water pollution in the Amaravati river. The petition filed in public interest suggests that the industrial effluents discharged in the Amravati river has not only rendered the flowing water unfit fo human consumption but also made the groundwater toxic.

The Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy pointed out towards the duty of the state to introduce checks and balances in order to curb the pollution level in water bodies

"In a State which depends primarily on flowing water and the damming of rainwater during the limited period that it gets rains, every endeavour should be made to ensure that the quality of the water is not compromised or adversely affected by the discharge of effluents or sewage or the like". it added.

Concerned about the degradation of the quality of flowing water owing to a discharge of industrial effluents, the bench has issued the following directions to the state government.

• An expert body should be formed with persons of impeccable credentials to suggest measures and solve the pressing problem of pollution in water bodies. 
• Guidelines need to be formulated with appropriate checks and balances to prevent the water from turning poisonous.
• Best minds must be invited to indicate how the quality of flowing water across the state can be preserved.

Read the order

T_Dhanasekharan_v__The_Government_of_Tamil_Nadu_and_ors.pdf