Thread by @barandbench

#MadrasHighCourt, while hearing suo motu case over pollution of River Amaravathi, Karur refers to #EluruWaterTragedy and pollution in river Godavari in AP:

“Only when tragedy occurs, we wake up from slumber like Rip Van Winkle. Otherwise, we remain silent."

“… hundreds of people are dying of disease and it is found because drinking water contained copper and nickel. Do you want this to happen to Amaravathi also? The river Amaravathi is the drinking source for how many?”

#MadrasHighCourt
#Riverpollution

"Water is polluted means cultivation, drinking water, everything is polluted. What is the purpose of opening so many hospitals? We are creating all these health hazards.”

#MadrasHighCourt
#Riverpollution

#MadrasHighCourt asks State again to respond on if Goondas Act can be amended to punish water polluters.

Court orally observes: Unless you put the persons behind bars… people may say we may be exceeding our jurisdiction. Sometimes we have to exceed, then only result will come.

“It is better to change the name of the Pollution Control Board. It is not 'pollution control', it is 'pollution causing board'. They remain mute spectators…Media is there and reporting, that is the reason why we can take judicial notice of it.”

#MadrasHighCourt
#Riverpollution

On the mention of a PIL against the unauthorised extraction of water from the river Amaravathi, Court retorts

"They are taking water and giving back polluted water. Reciprocation is there."

#MadrasHighCourt
#Riverpollution

Pugalendhi J.: Even a poor man is depending on purified water. This is the state of affairs.

Kirubakaran J.: I grew in a village. We used to go during the interval to the kolam (lake, to drink water) and enjoy the fishes and the lilies.

#MadrasHighCourt
#Riverpollution