Illegal brick kilns wiping out elephant corridors, says plea

The first bench comprising Chief Justice AP Sahi and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy posted it for further hearing to August 25 after the State sought time. The bench directed the Pollution Control Board to file an affidavit in response to the allegations relating to brick kilns.

The petitioner, S Muralidharan, an animal rights activist, submitted that elephants used to feed on fodder during its routine migration and carried on its way to the adjoining reserve forest without causing any damage to person or property. It continued from time immemorial till the appearance of illegal brick-kilns, forcing the elephants out of their foraging range or migratory route.

Alleging that the mushrooming brick-kilns have changed the dynamics of the entire landscape of Thadagam valley and caused severe damage to its ecology and migratory route of elephants, he submitted that the emission and ash from the brick-kilns polluted the environment, which have serious effect on the health of the people and the surrounding vegetation. However, the TNPCB neglected the illegalities and failed to take any action, he said.

Appearing for the petitioner, advocate SP Chockalingam submitted that only a few brick kilns were registered with the Commissioner, Department of Geology and Mining, while the remaining were operating illegally. The permeation of brick-kilns resulted in increase of vehicular traffic through elephant corridors, resulting in elephant herds finding it difficult to manoeuvre and get involved in road accidents, leading to their death.

He also submitted that 77 people were killed and 61 were injured by wild elephants in Coimbatore Forest Division between 2011 and 2018.