A Division Bench of the Kerala High Court has directed the Pollution Control Board (PCB) to investigate the functioning of treatment plants maintained by establishments such as hotels and resorts in Munnar and to ensure that the wastes generated in such establishments are not dumped in any public property.
The Bench comprising Chief Justice S. Manikumar and Justice Shaji P. Chali on Wednesday directed the PCB to ensure that the treatment plants of these establishments functioned on a day-to-day basis and that they were set up with the consent of the board.
Legacy waste
It also directed the Munnar grama panchayat to take steps to remove the legacy waste at its Kallar trenching ground in six months and complete construction of the septage treatment plant there in six months.
The court directed the Idukki District Collector to ensure that the removal of the legacy waste and the construction of the septage treatment plant were carried out by the panchayat in its trenching yard without the interference of any third person.
The panchayat was also directed to take immediate and appropriate action against waste generators under the provisions of the Panchayat Raj Act, 1994, with police assistance.
Financial benefits
The Bench ordered that financial benefits of any programmes, missions, and the financial benefits from any fund of the Central government or any other scheme be provided to the panchayat.
The directives were issued on a writ petition filed by R. Sudha, a Kochi-based lawyer, seeking a directive to the State government and others to take stringent actions against owners of hotels and resorts for discharging the septic tank and other wastes into the rivers, lakes, and streams in and around Munnar, the Eravikulam National Park, the Periyar Tiger Reserve, and the Chinnar and Idukki Wildlife Sanctuaries.
Govt.’s duty
The court observed that the State government, the panchayat and other bodies constituted for the protection of environment had a duty to ensure that the pristine beauty of the hillock was sustained and maintained.
The Munnar grama panchayat had submitted that it had decided to set apart its trenching ground at Kallar for establishing a septage plant after removing the legacy waste. It had requested the PCB and the State government for adequate funds to establish the plant.
