'Orders will be issued to close brick kilns on elephant corridors'

CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu government on Friday informed the Madras High Court that it would pass appropriate orders to shut down the illegal brick kilns that are allegedly functioning in the elephant corridors in the Coimbatore district.

The Additional Advocate General J Ravindran made this submission before a special bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy. The bench was hearing a batch of petitions connected to the prevention of elephant poaching.

The petitioners informed the High Court that about 134 brick kilns that were under operation in the elephant corridors at Thadagam have been shifted to Periyanaickenpalayam and Anaikatti. They, further, said that both the Periyanaickenpalayam and Anaikatti are also having elephant corridors and the state should take steps to close the illegal brick kilns.

Recording the submissions, the judges directed the state to find out whether the brick kilns are functioning in the Periyanaickenpalayam and Anaikatti elephant corridors and to take necessary action if there is any illegality.

Responding to the judges, the AAG submitted that the State will not allow the brick kilns on the elephant corridors and would pass orders to shut such brick kilns.