Burial ground as solid waste mgmt facility: HC stays bid

Chennai: The Salem district administration’s bid to convert a ‘

burial ground

’ into a solid

waste

management facility has been stayed by the Madras

high court

.

A division bench of Justice M Sathyanarayanan and Justice P Rajamanickam, before which a PIL filed by K Krishnamoorthy of Thathamapatti village of Salem district, came up for admission on Friday, granted the interim injunction against the construction. It also issued notices to Salem district collector, city corporation commissioner and others, returnable by January 17, 2019.

The PIL said survey number: 113/P at the above village had been classified as ‘burial ground’, and added that attempts were being made to put up a solid waste

management

facility there. Construction work for the project had already commenced, said the PIL.

In its brief order, the judges, said: “A perusal of the record prima facie appear that attempts are being made to put up a solid waste management facility on the said land in question and if the construction is allowed and in the event of the writ petition being allowed, the building has to be demolished and public money, already spent would become waste. Further the balance of convenience as on today lies in favour of the petitioner. Thus prima facie case has been made out for grant of interim orders. Hence there shall an order of interim injunction restraining authorities from proceeding further with the construction till January 17, 2019.”