TNPCB officials told to clear cloud on illegal brick kilns in Thadagam

CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has expressed its dissatisfaction over the status report filed by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) stating that the report reveals the cloud of the TNPCB officials with violators who are running illegal brick kilns in the Thadagam area of the Coimbatore district.

A division bench of Justice N Sathish Kumar and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy passed the direction on hearing the matters related to wildlife protection in the Western Ghats.

When the TNPCB filed a status report, the judges held that they are prima facie satisfied that the very report did not reflect the affairs or otherwise the same indicate that there is a clear cloud of the Pollution Control Board officials with the violators.

“Despite the positive direction to conduct an inspection, the Pollution Control Board found that there was no license issued to them. Instead of closing down the units, the report says that they have examined 23 units and there is no reference or mention with regard to the others, ” the judges wrote.

The court further noted that it was not in a position to accept the report in view of the casual reference and filing of such details without any actual inspection.

“It is a fit case to initiate contempt proceedings against the officer who filed the affidavit, the counsel appearing as the respondent submitted that he will file all the reports in detail, on the next date of hearing. Only for the sake of such submissions of the counsel, the contempt proceeding is not initiated, ” the court noted.

The bench adjourned the matter to December 22.