Explain delay in sending proposal on Pichavaram restoration: HC to TN

The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed the State government to file its counter explaining the reason for not sending its proposal to the Centre to restore the Pichavaram mangrove forest in Cuddalore which was damaged by Thane cyclone in 2011 and again by floods in 2015.

The first bench comprising Chief Justice Munishwar Nath Bhandari and D Bharatha Chakravarthy issued the direction while hearing a PIL filed by Arjunan Elayaraja, who sought direction to the State and Centre to undertake reforestation with mangrove trees.

His counsel D Gururajan submitted that Elayaraja had given a representation to both the governments in 2018. In June last year, the court had pulled up the State government for not acting on its own to preserve the mangrove forest, and directed the State and Centre to file a status report.

The central government’s standing counsel informed the court that it was ready to allot funds if the State came up with a proposal. When the matter was taken up again on Tuesday, the petitioner submitted that the State government has not sent any proposal to the Centre till date on reforesting Pichavaram mangrove forest.

State government pleader P Muthukumar sought time to appraise the court about the reason for not sending the proposal. Recording the submissions, the bench ordered notice to the State to file its counter explaining the reason for the delay in sending the proposal. The bench then adjourned the matter to March 8 for next hearing.